All of us have played the
”
New Year’s Resolutions
”
game a time or two. We learned that most of these good
intentions never make it past the end of January. There is,
however, a way you can move beyond the frustrating cycle of making
and breaking resolutions … a way you can change your life for
good.
All of us have played the “New Year’s Resolutions” game a time or two. We learned that most of these good intentions never make it past the end of January. There is, however, a way you can move beyond the frustrating cycle of making and breaking resolutions … a way you can change your life for good.
When it comes to life-change, I have noticed that some people take the passive approach (“let go and let God”), while others take a more activist stance (“if it’s to be, it’s up to me”), but God teaches us that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Consider the words of Philippians 2:12-13, “you must put into action God’s saving work in your lives … for God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” These verses teach us that both you and God have a part in the process.
If you really want to change your life for the better, you are going to have to cooperate with God. It will come down to two things: God’s resources and your choices. Over the next couple of weeks we will look at three of the primary resources God uses to change lives and how our choice plays a part in each.
One major resource he uses to change us is the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “The whole Bible is God-breathed and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point …”
I, along with millions of others, can say that reading the Bible has changed my life. How? By changing the way I think. And when we change the way we think, we will change the way we act. As Proverbs 4:23 tells us, our life is shaped by our thoughts. Ephesians 4:23 says, “there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts.” If you want to change anything in your life, whether it’s your attitude, your weight, a relationship or anything else, the place to start is in your mind.
And here is where your part in the life-change process comes in. God’s part is to provide His word, your part is to change what you think about. The problem with much of what psychologists call “behavior modification” is that it attempts to change the way we act without addressing the root cause of our actions. Behavior, however, is a result of feelings, which, in turn, are a result of our thoughts.
To make long-lasting changes in your behavior, you must first change the way you think. How? Well, suppose you were in a speedboat that was set on autopilot to go east and you wanted to change the direction of the boat to go west. You could try to wrestle the steering wheel to the desired heading, but, eventually, you would tire and the autopilot would force the course back to its original setting. A much better solution, of course, would be to simply change the autopilot!
How can you know what your autopilot is set at? By finishing the following statement 10 times: “It is just like me to …” Write down the first 10 ways you would finish that statement and you will see the direction your autopilot is set.
“For as a person thinks within himself, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Far too many of us say things like, “It’s just like me to say one thing and do another,” or “It’s just like me to give up,” or “It’s just like me to lose my temper.” If you want to free yourself from that course, use God’s resource: the Bible.
As Jesus said, “when you know the truth, the truth will set you free.” Why? Because when you have the truth in your mind, it will manifest itself in your feelings and actions. Take Paul’s counsel in Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
I realize that might force some of us to rearrange what we read or watch on TV, but if you are serious about changing your life, this is where it starts. Instead of dwelling on thoughts filled with anger, resentment, hurt and the like, “let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise” (Colossians 3:16).
Henry Harris is senior pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Road, Hollister. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church’s Web site at rollinghillsfamily.com, e-mail pastorhenry@rollinghills
family.com or phone 636-5353.
