By Sophia Christiaan, August 26, 2013
You are in your mid fifties, mid forties, or even mid thirties for that matter, you have been through life's disappointments and you are now feeling more than ready to move on into a truly meaningful existence, contrary to the life you have lived so far, where it seemed life was a sequence of imposed evil and incomprehensible events, causing nothing but hurt and confusion. But in spite of all of this, you have managed to learn crucial lessons from your past, your eyes have been opened to many things, and now you find yourself in a crossroad. The things that made you fail in the past are still a part of your personality, and you are faced with the only option for salvaging what is left of your life and make it work out for the best: Change the unattractive parts of yourself that has held you back from achieving success and happiness. You know you have to change, but it's painful to admit. You know you need to turn the roughness into mildness, pride into humility, and your bruteness into gracefulness.
The decision to change comes with an array of painful thoughts like; if I have to change, does that mean I'm not good enough? If I change those things about myself, is that then the same as saying I don't fully accept and embrace myself as who I am, and love my personality? Does change equal admittance of failure? Can I really change at this point in my life, or am I too set in my ways? I’m just not up for beginning some weird process of change where I’m going to be insecure and awkward, only to revert right back to the old me again. Been there, done that too many times.
Still, you have intelligently reasoned that you cannot have it both ways: You cannot have happiness without changing. You need to do something, or you will face aging by yourself, alienated from people you love whom you have pushed away because of so-called being who you are. It's not working for you anymore to "be who you are." It's not taking you places, and it's not giving you what you need. You have problems everywhere, you have decade old feuds, family issues, and you are tired of facing it all alone without anyone to support you, hold your hand, comfort you, and let you know you can make it.
Change comes the moment we allow it to be an opportunity, a way out! Change begins the moment we fall on our knees and sincerely admit our need to change. Change begins with humbling ourselves, repenting for our stubborn ways, and thanking God for helping us now to be free from any stronghold that hinders, any fear that paralyzed, and any thought that depresses. “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Psalm 51:17 NTL
Change begins with daily recommitting yourself to your Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, sincerely surrender your life to Him, and tell Him you want all He has in store for you, and that you want Him now to direct and control your life completely. Tell Him you desire for Him to mold you into His beautiful likeness and produce these godly character traits in your life: "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (See Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT)
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