by Angie Lewis

Created on: June 21, 2010   Last Updated: June 25, 2010

If you would like to be an effective agent of change the advice I would offer is this: Firstly, we can only be effective agents of change if we have been challenged in that particular area ourselves and have already gone through the learning and development process. Secondly, the people we are assisting to change have to be willing to accept change for themselves. We can’t make someone do something they don’t want to do. And we certainly cannot make someone change because we think they should change. And thirdly, we should not get our hopes up because reality dictates that sometimes we will be sadly disappointed.

How To Be an Effective Agent of Change

We should first recognize “why” we want to help others to change. Are we a parent wanting to help our children improve their lives? Are we a Pastor of a congregation bringing others together in the Christian faith? Are we a concerned citizen wanting to lead people to Christ? Is this something we have been called to do by God? Are we ministers of a particular ministry trying to encourage the lost sheep into the sheep pen? What is our purpose? Each circumstance will most likely entail a different method and purpose.

We have to be careful that as ministers, servants, messengers and agents of God’s Word that we do not take the praise and recognition for something we are not in control of. The world is full of problems and people who are lost and need to be found, but the truth is they must want to be found before they will accept what you have to say. Sometimes we get so caught up in our job as agents of change that we forget that true spiritual growth and change of a person is possible because of God and not of our own abilities.

We cannot save the world; only God can do that by working His power through us. We are God’s agents. For an example, as an agent of change in a ministry, my husband and I often counsel couples where one spouse is an alcoholic. The most effective and productive way to deal with this issue is to explain to couples our own experience as we dealt with alcoholism, and how we conquered it through Christ working in our lives.  Our own experience, which is our testimony, gives them more hope and encouragement than anything else we can say or do.

When people want to change their lives, they come to the ministry because they are “ready” to hear God’s message of healing, hope and truth for their life—they are ready to receive personal

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