God Can Help Us Change for the Better!

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."  -Thomas a'Kempis

I am here today to talk about change. Change is a tough thing to swallow. Whether you’re being asked to deal with some new policy changes at work, or you’re being replaced by something newer and better… change is no fun.

Lots of things may change during the course of our lives… and not all of them good! But, whether we like it or not… things change! It’s inevitable and unavoidable. Think about it, without change, life would quickly become dull and unbearably boring. Can you imagine wearing the same clothes, and having the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday?

Change is also a necessary part of life… it’s essential to our growth. I like what a famous inventor once said, “The world hates change, yet it’s the only thing that’s brought progress.” That’s true. But many of us fight change tooth and nail. When life drops unexpected changes in our laps… our first reaction is to fight them!

Let me tell you why. We fight change for at least 3 reasons:  First, change changes routines. Let’s face it… we like things to remain the same. Change messes with our carefully constructed routines and traditions.

Second, change changes commitments. It’s a fact of life that a change costs! It costs time, it costs money.  That’s one of the reasons I don’t change my car's oil when I’m supposed to. I don’t have either! Some people are open to change as long as it doesn't inconvenience or cost them anything. (In other words, they’re not open to change!)

And thirdly, the #1 reason that we resist and fight change, is because change changes us! That’s a scary thought! Nobody likes to admit that they might have to change. My goodness! That’s like admitting that we might be wrong, or admitting we might not be perfect! The hardest thing in the world to change is a habit. First we form our habits and then our habits form us. 

Seriously, it’s not easy to change our attitudes, our bad habits, our marriages, and our lifestyles. So naturally, what do we do? We fight change. And here’s how we do it! First of all, by delaying. We delay from making the changes we know God wants us to make.

How many times can you think of when you should have dealt with a problem, but just didn't? When are we going to learn that with procrastination problems only grow bigger… not smaller!

Secondly, we deny our need for change. Now, I've found that most of us don’t change unless 1 of 3 things happen. Either, we learn enough that we want to change; we receive enough that we’re able to change. Or, we hurt enough, that we have to change. 

However, be careful when you’re resisting change in your life because you might just be resisting God! Have you ever thought that God might be allowing a particular situation to occur in your life order to bring about the change He requires? 

Third, not only does delaying and denying keep us from making the changes that we need to make in our live, but we fight change by deceiving. In a last ditch effort to hold onto our stubbornness, we begin to deceive not only others, but ourselves.

Change is tough, and it’s never fun… but remember, it’still the only thing that brings progress in our lives. So in closing,  let me leave you with suggestions on how to deal with it. First, fight your fear. Realize that change, (of any kind), whether it’s around you (or in you)… always creates a fear of failure. Fight that fear!

In reality the greatest mistake you can make is to be afraid of making one. It’s true, all change isn't necessarily an improvement, but without change there can never be improvement. Realize that there’s no such thing as success without sacrifice, and with every gain, you have to lose something. In other words, You have to give up to go up! But in the end, it’s worth it!

Next, view life vertically. I've never seen a habit just lie down, surrender and die. If we’re going to make the changes in our lives that God is wanting to make, we’re going to have to force ourselves to get a “vertical focus”. What that means is when faced with a difficult situation you ask God, “Lord, are you in this? Are you trying to get through to me?” Or, “Lord, I’m not sure what you want me to do, so I invite you to help me deal with this!”

And then lastly, stay open to opportunity. Ever heard of Cornfields Law? Well, Cornfields Law states that: “Nothing is ever done until everyone is convinced that it ought to be done, and has been convinced for so long that it’s now time to do something else!”

My advice, ‘Don’t wait that long!” The sad truth is, most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. The more you change, the more you become an instrument of change in the lives of others. If you want to become a change agent you also must change!” 

God has (and is) providing all kinds of opportunities for us to change in positive ways. We simply have to be willing and open to them.  

Scripture: Hebrews 13:8; Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 31:6; Proverbs 19:2; Jeremiah 29:11; Malachi 3:6 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, allow me to have the courage to change my life for the better. Allow all my burdens to be risen up to you as I know that You will see me through. Take time for me today to help with all the trials you have set out for me and allow me the strength and energy to follow you. Amen

God bless you,

Sondra