Change can be scary to navigate and perhaps, something nearly impossible to accomplish for some people. We all have seen the illustrated picture with two lines. The first line is for people who want change, and the other line is for people ready to change. The line for people who want change is full and crowded. Meanwhile, the line for people who are ready to change is significantly smaller and almost empty.
Coretta Scott King (MLK’s wife) said, “It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem.”
Navigating through change is an obstacle; the truth is that change is a complex process to navigate. The fear of change is associated with failure; 1 in 3 people would rather avoid change than be exposed to failure. So, what happens? Often, people live in the same cycle of life without any expectations for their life or faith. Positive change, however, could stem from a place of defeat, meaning you have nothing more to lose, so you finally give change a fighting chance.
Change requires consistency, flexibility, transparency, and accountability for most people. Change is a revolving attribute that consists of three controlling factors.
- A sense of independence.
2. A sense of competence.
3. A sense of connection to others.
Often, people are motivated by one of these three controlling factors. Consider a teenager transitioning into adulthood; at 18, they want complete autonomy from their parents, even if they still live at home. Others rely on their natural abilities to navigate through change even if they do not know the type of change they seek. This is true as almost 1 in 3 people say that they usually give up and do something else if they do not see immediate results from their efforts. Their life is basically a never-ending cycle of attempted change without seeing any results. Hypothetically speaking, even if you find the change you are after and are seeing the results that you want with change, this change frequently leads to solitude. I recently discovered that 1 in 10 people don’t necessarily believe in God, but choose to attend church because they want to feel a sense of belonging. At Legacy, we welcome them.
We know that change requires consistency, flexibility, transparency, and accountability. These fundamentals can be summed up in the book of Philippians.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9 NIV)
Scripture is instrumental in reiterating God’s plans and purpose for your lives. I strongly believe that once you vividly understand God’s plans and purpose for your life, you can focus on changing patterns in your life that would position God in the center. Personally, when rededicating my life to God, I immediately realized that I needed to retrain my heart and mind.
Colossians says, “If you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ; that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.” (Colossians 3:1-2 MSG) And again, the book of Romans 12:8 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
God wants you to experience the fullness of His love and grace. This act requires responsibility on your part. You see, out of the abundance of your obedience to God, change is ignited. Allow me to share five facts about change from personal experience.
- Change is a product of your vision. In Proverbs, the Bible says, without vision the people will perish, meaning any dream, goal, or aspiration you may have will die without proper vision. Do you know the difference between a plan and an idea? An idea is something you think about. A plan is something you have written down on a piece of paper. Change requires supervision. It requires strategic planning, organization, and management. Change doesn’t happen overnight; it takes a process.
- Change is inspired by your values. What you prioritize and safeguard in your life will represent your values. Take a moment to consider what your values are. Your values will dictate where you put your time, talent, and treasure.
- Change enforces commitment. Positive change holds you accountable to your God-given purpose. You are responsible for yourself. This means no one controls your commitment to God but you. What you put into your relationship with God will surface in your life.
- Change leads to transformation. Ultimately, change is the first step of transformation. Think of a butterfly and a caterpillar; the process of change is like the cocoon. It may be dark and lonely for a while, but when the caterpillar metamorphosizes, it changes completely. Similarly, you may be in a dark place, but if you allow God to change you completely, you can never return to your old ways, just like a butterfly can never return to being a caterpillar. This is the type of transformation mentioned in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
- Change is attractive. The process of change is indeed a lonely road to navigate. Often you have to be your own cheerleader, coach, and trainer. Consider a bodybuilder; they must endure a strict diet and planned workouts. When results become apparent, people take notice. The bodybuilder becomes attractive and strong. Change doesn’t happen overnight; you need to be strict and disciplined to gain the results you are looking for.
In closing, you are responsible for the changes you want in your life. Consider again the quote from Coretta Scott King, “It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem.” Be honest with yourself; what change are you seeking? And what are you willing to do about it? Can you follow through with what you want to change and become a better version of yourself? Write 2 Corinthians 5:17 on your heart. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” If you have not done so yet, start today, become the change your life desperately needs, and witness how God will use you in a mighty way.
Thank you for reading.
Contact me at daniel@legacychurchfc.com.
