“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” – Arnold Bennett

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” – Thomas Fuller

“In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do.  I don’t do what I know is right.  I do the things I hate.” –  The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (Romans 7:15 CEV)

When you think about the most challenging aspects of life, encountering any type of change must rank close to the top – especially change that is intrapersonal in nature involving attitudes, personal actions or decisions requiring self-regulation.

Nothing puts an exclamation point on the concept of personal change and the struggles associated with it like the Bible verse listed above.  Paul, the man who wrote almost half of the New Testament, confesses his own unworthiness and ineptitude when it comes to making positive changes in his life. 

If doing the right thing is challenging even for a saint, how is success even a possibility? If an Apostle struggles with positive personal change, how can an average human being come close to consistently making sound, positive choices?

How about you?  When it comes to making the right choices in your own life, what seems too hard or too daunting to overcome?  Where do you find yourself constantly doing the opposite of what you should be accomplishing or achieving?

Maybe it’s something as simple as holding on to hope more than you do worry or embracing gratitude first instead of always focusing on what’s missing in your life.  Maybe it’s a bad habit that impacts your health and well-being or a daily discipline that apathetically gets left undone time and time again.

Could it be the personal change you need to make is more overwhelming than a simple attitude adjustment or dealing with a minor bad habit?  Maybe the personal change involves a darker addiction that seems impossible to alter.  How about a personal change that leans on the ability of others to change in unison for it to become achievable and lasting?

Here are some things to consider as you face your own challenges surrounding personal change:

Balance Personal Accountability with Personal Surrender

Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? –  The Apostle Paul writing to the Romans (Romans 7:24 Amplified Bible)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”  – 2 Corinthians 5:17 HCSB

No change is possible without accepting personal accountability, however; we often do this incorrectly by egotistically seeing ourselves at the epicenter of the power needed to make any change possible. 

The hard truth is we are powerless to invoke any sustainable change on our own.  As human beings, we are incapable of such perfection.  Personal accountability begins with an attitude of vulnerability and humility – seeing ourselves in the true light of our flawed mortality.

Paul humbly realized he couldn’t change on his own.  He needed a Savior.   Personal accountability begins by saying, “I desperately need to change.  I am powerless to make this change alone.  I need God and His power to help me sustain the changes I am making in my life.  By His power and His might, any needed change is possible!”

In the middle of any personal change you are attempting to make, can you see how taking personal accountability begins with vulnerability and humility – not self-reliance and self-determination?

See the Value Found in Small Steps

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Often when we attempt to make any changes in our life, we end up biting off more than we can chew.  Change alone can be difficult, but when we take on goals too lofty, we incrementally increase our chances of failure.  This kind of failure can cause us to become demotivated and disinterested – seeing the change as something beyond our capability to accomplish.

It’s like the dieter who starves themselves and ends up eating too much because they are famished when they finally do eat or the person attempting to exercise for the first time in years and running five miles their first time out.  They falsely think exercise doesn’t work for them because they are too worn out by doing too much too fast.

If you are attempting any changes in your life right now, break the change down into smaller steps or goals.  Wait to increase your goal until the smaller step is attained consistently and the habit becomes routine.  Start small and before you know it, the “thousand-mile journey” of change will be attained!  Those small, single steps make all the difference!

The Daily Ritual of Releasing and Renewal

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind…” – Ephesians 4:23

“For this reason, we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16 GNT

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” –  Psalm 51:10 KJV

All change, no matter how small or large, comes with setbacks and obstacles that are unique to each of us.  If we allow these feelings or defeats to linger, they can become tremendous barriers to any form of positive change we are attempting to invoke.

If we see the needed, positive change from the perspective of our spirituality, we begin to see the importance of asking God to wipe the slate clean every day – releasing ourselves from old habits and failures while renewing our minds with determined thoughts that see the change as easily attainable and inevitable.

Every evening, make it a ritual to seek this renewal of the mind – releasing any failures or setbacks to God.  Only He can cleanse and renew us – allowing us to start a new day regenerated, restored, and revitalized.

 Jesus looked straight at them and said, “There are some things people cannot do, but God can do anything.” – Matthew 19:26 CEV

“Sovereign LORD, you made the earth and the sky by your great power and might; nothing is too difficult for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17 GNT

Tonight, I pray you see any changes that need to be made in your life through the lens of your spirituality – humbly believing they can only become unshakable and sustainable through the power of God – not your own.  Any changes you attempt to make apart from Him won’t last, my friend.

With that same spiritual focus, I hope you see the importance of daily renewal – asking God to release you from any failures and setbacks you encounter.  As you release your failures to Him, ask Him to create a new spirit within your heart and mind – one that approaches change with positive expectancy and renewed focus.

I hope you can see the importance of starting out in small increments and steps – setting yourself up for more success and progress as the change unfolds.

I’ll be praying for you!  Pray for me as well, my friend! God bless 😊