The Power of CHANGE
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
We live in a world of constant struggles, chaos, and fear. Many people are carrying heavy burdens and get overwhelmed with anxiety which then leads to exhaustion.
As Believers, we must prevail to understand it all. We have two choices really: turn toward the Holy, or succumb to the fear-based world we live in.
Where Real Change Happens
You’ve heard the quote from Ghandi “Be the change you want to be in the world.” I have kept this quote in my office for years to remind me that, no matter what we are going through, we have the power that was given us by the spirit to change ourselves from the inside. That means changing not only how we see the world around us but how we react to all things.
This is where real change happens.
You might ask yourself “how do I do this when I cannot control my finances or my marriage or my job?” You may not be able change every situation you face, but by doing a few simple – yes simple, but not necessarily easy – steps, you can change how you react. And that can change the direction and outcome of your entire life.
5 Changes to a New Life
Forget who you are and start remembering whose you are.
In the words of George Elliot, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” It is never too late to become who you really are. If we truly want to change, we can by bringing the love of God to all you meet and wherever you go he will be there with you.
Shift From anxiety to atonement.
Atonement is one of God’s greatest gifts, allowing us to get our lives back on track. Our thoughts are moved by the Holy Spirit from where they have been to where they should be. Remembering He will not enter where He’s not invited, God cannot take from us what we do not release to Him. To atone we must be willing to take an honest look at ourselves and our thoughts, releasing them into the hands of our Creator.
Ask God to change us before asking Him to change the world.
In John 16:33, Jesus tells his followers, “be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Notice what he didn’t say. He didn’t claim to have fixed the world or its problems. Instead, he told them had overcome that world. Marianne Williamson puts it this way: “The problem most of us have is that we try to fix instead of overcoming which is why we never find the fundamental good cheer.”
The Bible assures us that the Holy Spirit will give us a new mind and a new heart. What we should pray for is the healing of our own minds before praying for God to work in others. It’s impossible to make a new life when you are stuck in the same old mindset. It won’t happen. We should first transform our hearts, through power of God’s love. If we want our lives to genuinely change, we must have a truly spiritual moment with God and open our hearts to receive it.
Change your plan to God’s plan.
When we choose to serve God, we choose the path toward God’s greatness within us. You can see when the Holy Spirit is working through someone – they have a power and passion that is obvious. They chose to accept this power … it did not choose them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are waiting for all of us when our lives are dedicated to God’s plan.
Stop being who you are and start being who you are becoming.
How we navigate change in our lives spiritually determines whether our outcome will be one of joy or one of despair. Ask the Spirit of God to come into you and give you birth to the fullness of who He wants you to be. God loves you and will send you out into the world as he created you to be.
A Prayer for Change
Heavenly Father, I surrender to you everything I think, and feel. Please take my past, and plan my future. Send your spirit to redeem my mind, then I might be set free. May I become who you would have me be, but I might do what you would have me do. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ amen!
May God continuously lead your path