Colossians 3:9–10: “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”
Accepting Change
I am always thinking I want to change. I want to grow and mature in order to serve the Kingdom of God most effectively over my lifetime, but it can be challenging and complicated. Honestly, I want to crawl in a box when change seems impossible.
Change can come instantly or slowly over time. Change can be hard, or it can be easy. Either way, we need to accept the change, put the emotions in the past and move forward. Harder said than done. Plus, it’s hard to accept change when it’s uncomfortable.
Let’s take changes of the Ford Mustang over time for example (Not everyone will agree with this analogy, but it works for me.):
I learned to drive with my Mom’s 1966 Mustang. I will never forget that red interior or my Grandmother gripping the door handle as I navigated the dusty roads of Newberry Springs, CA. I drove the pre-owned 1974 until it smoked down the 210 freeway toward Pasadena. And in 1986, I washed “our” Mustang so often the neighbor said I’d wash off all the paint.
I spent a large part of my career in advertising, and in the 90s I watched the Mustang spiral down in popularity among my friends and family. We didn’t like the change. We were uncomfortable with the squareness of the design. We were all wondering why it changed and whether Ford would resurrect the old Mustang or not. They did.
Mustangs of recent past welcome back their design roots. I can see the car I learned to drive in once again in the classic lines of the newer Mustang body. And, those rumbling muscles are impressive (I want one — just saying.).
1964 Ford Mustang
1988 Ford Mustang
2014 Ford Mustang
Photo Credits: Ford Motor Company
Image Source Article: The Ford Mustang Over the Years https://www.amny.com/lifestyle/ford-mustang-turns-50-classic-mustangs-through-the-years-1.7726282
From Impossible to I’m-Possible
Change is a gift, though it can be difficult to see it that way. It’s a gift, because it’s worth the effort. You are worth the effort. When you change, you grow in maturity making areas of your life more manageable and understandable.
Keep in mind that change is a process. Take one step at a time and eventually you’ll get there. Get where? Well, where do you want to go? What do you want to do with your life? Are you ready to leave your legacy?
Matthew 19:26: “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
With Change there’s Hope & with H.O.P.E. There’s Change
H-umbling
It is humbling to put our faith and trust in God, rather than ourselves. It is humbling to wait on God and to depend solely upon His power to create lasting change in our lives. When change is made through our own power it fades. But, we must be humble as we accept and/or design change.
O-btainable
God is not going to abandon us in the middle of anything. We are the ones who abandon Him. God’s Holy Spirit is working on us daily, even when we aren’t. When we decide to pitch-in the change is better than we ever imagined. The promise is that change is possible and miracles happen.
P-urposeful
Change enables you to dream into the future of what could be. We are all created with individual a purpose. Change can help us to find that purpose and move into a position of loving God and others, which are the two primary commandments from Jesus — all while leaving a legacy.
E-difying
Change is inevitable each day as we physically mature. The gift of change comes with the desire and action to mature in mind and spirit as well. Build yourself up with change and your life will be a blessing to yourself and others.
A Simple Prayer for You
I pray you H.O.P.E. well and Change well, while learning to love yourself and others. I pray you lean on the mercy, grace and strength of the Lord as you walk out the new you.
Be blessed with the Gift of Change.
Tools for Change
Here is an excerpt from PsychologyToday.com
Read the full article here.
10 Tools to Change Hurtful Habits
Being the best person you can gives you a happier life. Old habits are hard to change. But when you discover or are confronted with something you do that hurts the one you love, you will be motivated to try. Here are ten tools that can help.
- Become aware. Whether you figured the problem out on your own or it was pointed out to you, becoming aware that you inadvertently hurt someone will help you change your action from a negative to a positive.
Here is an excerpt from MindTools.com
Check out the full article here.
Stages of Reacting to Change
Change can be difficult because it can challenge how we think, how we work, the quality of our relationships, and even our physical security or sense of identity. We usually react to this challenge in four stages:
-
- Shock and disorientation.
- Anger and other emotional responses.
- Coming to terms with the new situation.
- Acceptance and moving forward.
But our progression through these stages is rarely simple or linear. We might get stuck in one stage, or advance quickly and then slip back. And there is often no clear-cut, decisive move from one stage to another. Shock can shade gradually into anger, for example, with no obvious break between the two.
-
Here is a link to “Letting Go” from TheRecoveryGroup.org
Check out the full article here.
-
Here is a link to “Evidence-based Behavior Change Programs” from ProChange.com
Check out the full article here.
-
A Few Key Scriptures in the Bible
Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Ephesians 4:23
“…you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;”
Proverbs 10:8
“A wise heart accepts commands, but foolish lips will be destroyed.”
Proverbs 13:18
“Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore discipline, but the one who accepts correction will be honored.”
Acts 24:15
“And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.”
All Scriptural reference in this article are from: The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
† By God’s Grace.
Hardwired for Life 
You must be logged in to post a comment.