Change

25 Feb Change

Ephesians 6:12

Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

An article in Psychology Today said that, “Changing behavior is one of the hardest things any of us will ever try to do”. The observation is the same that is made in Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. We all are in need of Spiritual Growth, but the resistance to change can feel overwhelming.

There are a number of forces working that keep us from changing. I would like to highlight 3 of them:

1. Negative Emotions.Change is hard. When we try to change,our emotions often get in the way. Instead of embracing the growth that we are experiencing, we need to be prepared that our feelings won’t like the something new that is happening. Being prepared and ready to battle these emotions with prayer is essential!
2. False Thinking.I call this the “One Cookie Dilemma”. We start something only to not do it up to our perfectionist ideal. For instance, we go on a diet only to find ourselves eating that one cookie. We falsely think that we have blown everything. We haven’t! There is reason that forgiveness is the central fact in the Gospel. God loves us, Jesus forgives us, and we need to “Let Go and Give it to God”!
3. Forgetting our Toolbox.You and I are not alone. We have the whole church family to help us. Our Mission Team has their tools to do their roof work in North Carolina. God has given tools also.We have Scripture, Christian Music (Yes – KLOVE), Prayer, Christian Friends, and 3 Pastors. When you take on a change to grow in your life, remember to use your Spiritual Toolbox!

Our battle is with our thoughts and feelings that make us think we are ‘less than’. We aren’t. Abram and Sarai thought they were too old to start a family. We can feel like we are inadequate to make the change God wants us to. However, let’s never forget that with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!!

I invite you to take time to listen to Chris Tomlin’s new song, “Is He Worthy?”