The Problem?

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
         ~ Leo Tolstoy

I can't remember when I first read this Tolstoy quote, but it has really stuck with me. It's just so true. Everyone speaks of changing things in the world: passing a new law to prevent corruption, adding a rule so this or that won't be allowed anymore, boycotting a company to send a message. But how often do people try to change themselves?

The true problem isn't big corporations, big government (or, for that matter, small corporations or small government). The problem is human nature, the broken nature of our souls and our relationship with God. The ultimate problem is sin--and humans have no control over our sin. Only God can save us from our sin, through Jesus Christ.

Please don't misunderstand me--I think it's vitally important to change things here on earth, often through channels such as legislation. But I also think that any change will ultimately fail if it isn't accompanied by a change in individuals: if a law exists but is ignored by everyone, then the law is worse than useless.

It's just so much easier to try to change others, to force change upon them and hope it will solve all the world's problems, than it is to look honestly at yourself and see how you are failing, how you are contributing to the problem. And that is why I chose to start my post today with this quote: it's so easy to fall into that trap as you're praying. It's easy to pray for God to change others, for change to just happen--but how is that change going to happen if no one is doing anything to help God make it happen? How is that change going to happen if you are not helping it happen? Praying for something without doing anything else about it, when you could be doing more to help--what hypocrisy.

What am I praying about? What am I praying about but unwilling to try to change in my life?