The Courage to Change

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.” I have no idea where that quote originally came from, but I’ve heard people reference it multiple times. Change is one of those things that, when I want it, I want it to happen now and when I don’t want it to happen, I really don’t want it to happen. The thing that’s hard about it for me, is that while it is inevitable, it doesn’t always happen the way that I’d like it to. I’m aware of things that I want to change in my life, but I don’t always want to put in the work. Change can be hard — it can also be really good.

I’ve been really thinking about legacy lately. I want to build a legacy for my children that is good, honorable, and pleasing to God. There are things I want them to remember about me and there are things I hope to pass on, but some of those things I need to work on because they aren’t magically going to happen if I don’t put in the necessary effort. I have dreams and goals, but if I want some things to change, then I need to change some things.

I think that it can be easy to fall into the trap that because something in your life is one way, that it’ll be that way forever. I know that there have been things in my life that I assumed were bound to be the same way forever and I didn’t like that. I’ve also had things that I wanted to change “someday” and proceeded to put them off because “someday” isn’t here yet, but I’m not sure that “someday” will ever arrive if I just wait for it aimlessly. I also know that when I’m about to make a change, I can talk myself out of it fairly quickly — even if I have a game plan. I know this about myself, so I have to tell other people so that I have some accountability.

I think that as a believer, when I chose to follow Jesus, that meant that I would make some changes in my life. That there would be a change in how I do life. I would give up the things of the world in order to take hold of the things of God. That I would present myself to God as a living sacrifice that is holy (set apart) and pleasing to Him like it says in Romans 12:1. That I would put in the hard work and seek God with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Changes had to be made and they still do today.

Living for Jesus is a daily decision just like loving another person is. There has to be a conscious effort put in or the relationship won’t grow. For me, this means that I need to allow His Word to teach and guide me and show me where changes need to be made. I need to be willing to hear and receive the blessings of being His child, while also being willing to receive the discipline that comes with disobedience. As a believer, I know that God has forgiven me for my sins, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t need to be disciplined.

Discipline isn’t a bad thing, it’s necessary for growth and demonstrates love. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”” A few verses later in Hebrews 12:9-11 it says, “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God disciplines us for our good that we might share in His holiness — which is such a gift to us. It might not feel good all the time, but it is for our good.

Discipline should lead to a change in behavior. It should draw us closer to the Father, not push us away. God is a good Father and we can trust that whatever discipline we experience from Him is for our good. When we allow ourselves to learn from the discipline instead of resisting it, we are allowing growth and positive change to occur. I recently came to a place in my own life where I realized that there were changes that needed to be made, but I didn’t want to experience the discomfort of discipline. Once I realized that, I confessed my sin and asked God to help me do what I needed to do in order to turn away from it and stay away from it. That doesn’t make it easy — it just helps me focus on something other than the discomfort. To realize that the discipline I need will produce fruit is super encouraging to me.

I’ve begun to make some various changes in my life and while they haven’t all been easy, they have all been beneficial and I pray that I continue in them. Some of them have already begun to produce fruit in my life. Others I keep reminding myself that the fruit is coming and will be so worth it once it’s here. Change can be hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Discipline can be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Discipline allows growth and reminds us of a better way — the only way — Jesus. Following Him isn’t suppose to be easy because fighting against sin isn’t easy. Following Him is supposed to shape us into the men and women that He has created us to be. Following Him is supposed to look different than the world around us. It’s supposed to be filled with an unexplainable peace that only He can give. Following Him means dying to ourselves daily and seeking His will above our own. Following Him means accepting the blessings and the moments of discipline. Following Him means being willing to change things in and about our lives — even when it feels uncomfortable — because we are choosing to be obedient to Him. “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” Our lives won’t change if we don’t. Our legacies won’t change if we don’t do something to change them. Change can be hard, but it can also be good.

Changing takes courage. It takes a willingness to be seen as foolish to people who do not understand. It takes commitment because it requires consistency. Changing means being humble enough to admit that you were wrong and allowing God to work in your heart. Sometimes I think it can be harder to admit that I was wrong than it is to actually do something about it. When we allow God to bring to light the things in our lives that need a change, it can sometimes be hard to accept. Often times, I’ve found that the things that I need to work on aren’t the same things that everyone else needs to work on. We all have different areas of our lives that need work and the Holy Spirit will convict each of us of what that area is if we are humble enough to listen. Sometimes I wrestle with the thing that He reveals to me — especially when it sounds hard and/or requires a drastic change on my part. I don’t always want to make a change, but obedience to God isn’t about what I want — it’s about what God knows is best for me. So the question I have to ask myself is, “Do I have the courage to change even when it’s hard, in order to glorify God and honor Him with my life?”

Do you have any changes that you’ve made even though they were hard? Were you able to see how the hard, uncomfortable change led to fruit later on?

Song(s) of the Week: This week I chose “Different” by Micah Tyler. Enjoy!