Change won’t start until you start
The new year is still young and for many of us, we make resolutions and set goals that we hope to accomplish…this year! One of my goals is to lose 10-15 pounds…this year! Another goal is to complete what I did not complete in 2024. At the top of that list is losing 10-15 pounds…this year!
How about you? Did you set any goals, and how are you doing so far? You know, not reaching a goal can be disappointing and disheartening. There may even be feelings of guilt, sadness, and self-doubt. Reflecting on what went right or wrong can give us insight that can help us better prepare this year.
So, why did I not reach my goal, you ask? Well, after reflection, I have to admit that I had no real plans, and if you fail to plan, you are really planning to fail. I was not intentional about losing the weight. Exercising was few and far between while I deepened my relationship with ice cream and chocolate. How could I expect to see changes when I was not making changes? So often, we want to change but are not really willing to do what it takes to obtain the results we desire.
Can you relate to this?
Change means to make (someone or something) different; to alter or modify. It is an act or process through which something becomes different. Change requires an intentional response, and that response will determine your results.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said that “People who refuse to learn cannot be helped, and people who are determined to learn, no one can stop.” Change requires you to first identify what you want to change and then set realistic goals to achieve them. It requires discipline to follow the rules or guidelines set; a willingness to work hard and not give up; and patience, for real change is not an event but a process.
If we are to change it must first start in our minds, then we take personal action/steps to bring the desired outcome. Ensure your goals/steps are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. And remember to embrace and celebrate any growth, no matter how small, since you’re striving for transformation not perfection.
This year and going forward, if we want to see changes, we will really have to make changes. If we continue the same behaviour, we are bound to get the same results. Though making changes can be uncomfortable, it is necessary. Like we say in Jamaica, “if yuh wah good, yuh nose haffi run,” which means: to achieve success, one must be willing to work hard and make sacrifices.
As Believers, change is inevitable on our journey to becoming who God wants us to be: true worshippers! Real and continual spiritual change comes as we allow the Word of God to renew our minds daily. It is a lifelong process that begins in Jesus Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun and continues as we grow in our relationship with Him.
For it is not your strength, but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (Amplified Bible).
Until next time…keep on becoming true worshippers!
Lisa May Dillon, a pastor and worship leader in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is creator of the podcast, Becoming A True Worshipper.