There are countless times that people have made promises fueled by the hope of immediate and significant personal development. Those unhealthy habits of overindulgence or the lack of commitment to follow through are at the top of the list to address.
The reality is that some of us take a deep breath and plunge into the task with a fervor, at most, for a couple of weeks (before it becomes a habit). Then something comes up that changes our direction and focus. It’s a fact that few smokers quit because of a single moment of resolve. Few obese people have become slim and healthy because of one dramatic moment of commitment. Few people who were deeply in debt have changed their financial situation because they resolved to do so. Few marriages have changed because of one dramatic resolution without continual efforts to improve and stay on task.
People say, “If it isn’t broken… why fix it? Is change important? Yes, it is essential for all of us. From the womb until we leave this life, change happens. Is commitment to change crucial? Commitment is critical and necessary to any personal change we attempt to make. We can create a list of all the changes in our lives that have occurred because of commitments.
When it comes to breaking those deep, habitual, and unproductive habits, change must originate within the soul of a person. The transforming grace of God enables a person to experience the most remarkable results in personal change, which comes through Him. Many people want to change but lack the motivation to make the necessary sacrifices and discipline to change.
I thought about my life as a young person desiring not to repeat my father’s legacy, which was to run away from commitment when changes happened, and things became difficult. As much as I wanted to be different from him, I developed some unhealthy habits that took me away from what I desired in my soul. It was easier to give in to the weakness of my will than to resist and pursue what my heart desired.
It wasn’t until I humbly asked God to help me break free of the things that were holding me back and apply the discipline that real change happened. There can be no change without the discipline of mind, spirit, and body to achieve your goals.
2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
Please join us in celebrating Life at the Villages Community Chapel in Cribari Auditorium this Sunday at 10 a.m. to be encouraged over the Word of Life and enjoy coffee and cookies with friends. The chapel is a place where needs are met, faith is affirmed, and new friends are made. You can view our worship services on YouTube at www.villagescommunitychapel.vgcc.club