Making Changes

I’m a bit of a control freak. Depending on whom you ask, the word ‘bit’ could cover a very wide spectrum.

Sometimes it’s a good thing, like when I edit others or myself. I want the work to be perfect.

Sometimes it’s not, like when I freeze over making a decision because everything is not perfect or I don’t think I have enough information. Or I have too much information.

Sometimes, it’s disastrous, like when it damages relationships and hurts others. It’s the attitude of “If people would just do things my way, everything would be fine.” Well, no they wouldn’t. I’d have my way. Maybe. But I’d leave behind a trail of hurting and resentful people. A trail that will never be healed unless I make the time to retrace my actions and ask for forgiveness and reconciliation. Even then, the pain may be beyond repair.

I’m working on this aspect of my personality. I know it needs to change if I’m to walk in the fullness of God’s plan for me. I’ve had successes and setbacks, but I have been moving forward.

Recently, marriage teacher and Pastor Jimmy Evans said, “I must change the way I think or I will never change the way I act.” Changing my thinking means filling my mind with the word of God.

Filling my mind with anything else will either reinforce the behaviors I’m trying to change or lead me to worse behaviors.

Philippians 4:8 in the NLT tells us, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

All of these are traits of God. He addresses them throughout His Word. The only way I’ll truly and permanently change is to recognize and confess I can’t do it on my own and I can’t do it in my own thoughts.

I need to fix my thoughts on Him and on what He speaks to me in His Word. The Holy Spirit comes alongside me to reveal more of who God is and what He wants to communicate to me. God also speaks to me through my awesome wife and other people he brings into my life to support, encourage, teach, and lead me into deeper understanding and relationship with him.

When I use my quiet time to talk with Him and hear from Him, when I use the relationships He has brought into my life, when I apply all that he has shown me, real change can happen.

There are still times when I blow it. But He is there every time to left me up and encourage me to keep working on it.

My prayer for all who read this is that you will all find a deeper, more intimate relationship with God and that He will lead you into all He has planned for you. His plans are beyond anything we could imagine. Enjoy discovering them as you walk with Him.