Happy new year, friends! Last week I talked about going deep within yourself and ultimately creating your personal Wellness Vision. This is an important first step to making changes. This week I want to add to that discussion and talk about goal consistency. Personally, I’m really good at creating goals, even writing them down, but when the going gets tough, I have been known to slip then eventually stop altogether. How about you? I think this is common to all humans.
When things are hard, and especially if we don’t have a plan for “the hard,” it’s easy to give in a little. In my life, I tend to be all or none. I’m not saying this is healthy – quite the opposite – just sharing my tendency to make the point that if I slack a bit, it may be harmless, but it’s a slippery slope that leads me to sliding further than I want and even quitting altogether. Then I ask myself, how did I get here? Why did I quit? I didn’t intentionally quit; it just happened a little bit at a time.
Romans 7:15- 19 “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
As my pastor said today, “real change isn’t behavior modification. Real change is heart transformation. Heart transformation can only take place with spiritual transformation.”
Romans 7:24-25 “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”
Real change is God THROUGH me!
2 Corinthians 12:9 “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
I am weak and so are you. The greater power is tapping into Christ in me. First, he needs to be in you, by your invitation. I wrote about this in a recent blog post here. Assuming you’ve made the commitment to follow Christ and live your life for him, HE WANTS to give you strength.
Galations 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Perhaps you need to talk to God about your goals and align your goals with his purpose for your life. This doesn’t mean waiting to hear an audible voice from God. It can mean stepping out in the direction you feel led, that aligns with scripture. From there, God will direct your path. He will show you where HE wants you to grow or change.
When you have clear direction, he will give you strength. Change and growth is not easy. Discipline can begin strong then fade over time. I’m pretty hard headed and often forget this. I rely on my own strength and skills then soon realize my own power is not enough. This approach is thinking “it starts with God, then it’s all up to me.” The reality is it’s not all up to you, it’s you and God in partnership.
We must remember to invite God into the process in the beginning AND draw upon HIS strength as we move through it. He wants to be invited in. He wants to show us the best way. Maybe he has a better way! He wants to give us strength in the process.
Let’s step out in faith, arms linked with God, and go after our goals!
In love and health,
Terri
