I have been wrestling with some questions, lately. They are questions that I will probably never have the answer to in this life. What motivates a person to change? We go through trauma, addiction, poor life choices and habits.
These experiences change us. We perceive the world and the people around us differently because of them. We lack trust in others. We have fears. We don’t feel safe or worthy. Then something happens within us. We decide to change. We decide we don’t like how we feel. We know there is more and there is a moment that spurs us to do something different. Previous attempts at change have failed. This time it works. What is different? Did life become painful enough? Do we hit “rock bottom?” Is there a fear of loss?
God is a God of transformation, restoration and change. God loves us and is always with us. God desires our hearts become more Christlike. These are things I do know.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV).
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us…. (Romans 5:1-5 ESV).
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV).
As I wrestle with what causes change to happen, scripture is clear. God is for us. God want to take what is old, hurt, and broken within us and make us new. Even though there are still aspects of my house to clean, I have hope that I will continually be renewed. My heart will continue to change and transform. I still wrestle with the timing of it and our role in it, but I have hope in the promises within scriptures. I trust God to bring His work in me to fulfillment.
What brought you to change? Where did your motivation come from? What did you cling to in the process? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.
Corrie Ten Boom’s book about forgiveness… letting go and letting God. He is God and I am not. I hung on to hurtful letters and took them out as proof of how wronged I was. Corrie had done the same thing and one day tore the letters up and gave it to God. I did the same and it was liberating. Sometimes, I think we change when we realize just how deep we had been wallowing. God says “walk through the valley of death” WALK THROUGH! Not wallow and stagnate.
“Walk through” I like that.