Okay, so lots on my mind as usual! Now before I share all of this I want you to understand that I truly believe that I am blessed in so many ways, and I'm not complaining about life...just pondering on it!
There are several things that I'd like to do differently .... I think sometimes I bring a lot of grief upon myself with things that could actually be fixed if I just made a few changes. As I began to share this idea with a good friend she told me I had to mention a Seinfeld episode where George decides to do everything the opposite way that he usually does them. With that change all the things he had always wanted to happen started happening...Of course it ends in a funny way... with all the changes George made, Jerry starts having terrible luck...and so goes a Seinfeld episode!
I thought the idea worked here though. I think a lot of things in life could be changed if we just "Chose something Different." What if we took those negative habits and began doing what we've never done....can you imagine the changes that could take place!
Why is it so hard to "choose" something different. We often use the word habit in reference to a behavior that we repeat over and over. However, habit is almost a word that makes me think that somewhere along the way we began this "new" behavior and it became the habit, but as I think about some of my own behaviors I don't think of them as habits....I think of them as who I am. Changing your habits will change your behavior...but I'm thinking about something deeper than that. I'm talking about actually changing who you are and where you are headed. It is through changing the inside that those outward habits begin to change.
Being something different than what we've always been is scary....It is new, unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable. I think fear can keep us from changing...."What if" thinking takes control and we can't stand the thought of not knowing what change will be like even though we know we want to be something different. I think in some cases we are scared that change will make those around us uncomfortable. That by making changes in ourselves we are leaving them behind or we are saying to them we want something different from what they are. However, I think there comes a time in our lives that we have to make decisions for ourselves and if it is a change for the better we have to do it knowing that it is necessary at times to take care of ourselves. Also, you never know who else will follow you in those positive changes.....something to think about.
Change is tiring. When we begin to change things about ourselves we can no longer go through this life on autopilot...you know what I'm talking about. Not even having to think about the things we do and the way we live. When change takes place we are all of a sudden very aware of so many things in our lives and on top of the daily stresses that can be an overwhelming experience. Mental exhaustion can be a big factor in going back to the person you were trying to change.
Change must have PURPOSE! If we do things in this life with purpose we will be setting ourselves up to succeed! That purpose in our life must be strong enough to overcome all our complaints, worries, and fears! It will be the only thing that will pull us through change..........finding our purpose it the tricky part. Many are wondering about life jumping from one thing to another searching for purpose. Our most important purpose in this life needs to be living as a faithful Christian! Serving our Lord and bringing others to him....that is our GREATEST purpose, but there are also things on a smaller scale that need to have a purpose behind them. Like weight loss for example....I remember Jillian on the Biggest Loser talking to the contestants about purpose. She was encouraging them to look deep within their souls for the purpose of losing weight....she said once they found it the changes would be easy!
Change sometimes is not an option. We all know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different.......well, think of that on a bigger scale. Doing the same things in this life over and over will lead us where when we are 40, 50 or even 70 years old. The things we are doing now are setting us up for who we will be then. What makes us think we will be different at those ages if we aren't making changes now....very sobering to think about, but also empowering to know that we CHOOSE where we go from here. Christians must make changes constantly as we strive to be more like Christ. Without making changes in our lives from those things that are unholy we make the choice to lose our soul. Yes, I used the word choice....we make the choice of who we serve in this life... God or man!
What choices are you making........where are they leading you.......what will you change?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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I love this. And first I want to say that your friend sounds HI-larious!
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, this is so true. It is so hard to think of life as being compiled of just alot of choices. Every day we wake up and it begins. We choose, first, our mood. Then more mundane things like our clothes and shoes, etc. We take it all for granted. And we end up going through life "reacting" to the world around us. Think about THAT! When you wake up, how you feel determines your mood. What someone says and their tone determines your response. Which can in turn determine your mood. Which then can determine what we eat. And I could go on and on. So when we determine that CHANGE is going to happen, we have to first determine that we are not going to "react" to the world, but instead, "act" the way we want the world to see us. And this is like Christ.
Deciding to change and not react anymore is very hard because you have to be conscious of every thing you say and do. But, as christians, aren't we supposed to be doing that already. This blog is very thought provoking. Thanks Amber!!!
Good post Amber. Everyday as a parent I realize I must CHOOSE to do the right thing and change myself from the day before. There is this grand assumption that we do not need to change because we have figured it all out. Everyday I learn about something new I need to do as a Youth Minister, husband (Heather will attest to that), father, brother and son.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this Amber! As a mom I do study the Bible each day, but sometimes it takes something like this blog to get my mind thinking and my heart yearning to do better and change. To be a good christian example to my husband, children and everyone around me. Change is important for growth in every aspect of our lives. Whether it be spiritual or physical. Thank you so much, your blog is a reminder of what I should be doing on a daily basis. I have a long way to go. I fall short in so many things, but seeing others struggle with the same things I do, encourages me. You are a wonderful example to so many. I am so glad that our paths in this life have crossed! Jenny Hutson
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