Not fun!
I know, I know, I've been through this before and I know better. I won't bore your patience with the details about why I didn't do what I should have. Each of my long-time loyal "drinkers" of the Daily Cup of Inspiration already know all about my story, and how I had braces on my teeth about five years ago to correct a malocclusion.When I first got the orthodontic work done, I thought it was a one-shot-deal, you know.
I had it all planned out.
I would wear the braces for the specified period of time, get them removed. Then my newly straightened teeth and corrected bite would live happily ever after without a care in the world.
The end.
Ha! I was clueless. I didn't realize that having the braces removed from my teeth was, in fact, only the beginning. It wasn't a "once and for all" type thing. My lifestyle would be changed forever, at least if I expected to keep my teeth in alignment.
There's a lesson to be learned here for all of us. There is a difference between a behavioral modification and a lifestyle change. One is temporary and the other is permanent. Many of us want to see change, but we don't want to change our lifestyle.
Oftentimes, we only adjust our actions and behaviors temporarily; thus, we don't experience any lasting conversion. We improve for a brief season and then slip right back into our old patterns and habits. This is what's at the core of yo-yo dieting, unused gym memberships, incomplete manuscripts, abandoned blog sites, inactive businesses, malnourished relationships, piles of dishes and laundry, neglected duties and responsibilities, and most damaging...weak spiritual lives that include no prayer, study of the word, or discipline.
How do we let that happen?
Well, many times we have an emotional response to things we don't like at that moment, so we make big sweeping changes until we feel better. Shortly thereafter, we regress. We don't want to "put those retainers on," maintain a standard, or make certain habits a lifestyle.
But if we are ever to see real lasting change in our lives we have to be disciplined, structured and committed to the standard of living God wants and we also want for ourselves. How can we get to the place we need to be in this area?
It takes experiencing a transformation on the inside first, before you'll see any authentic transformation on the outside. A lot of us have the process all backwards. We get an idea, run with it and hope for the best. We don't stop to fortify it with prayer, seek God for His will and His help. The mistake we make is assuming we can do something just because we decide it's a good thing to do. But the motivation to continue on a course has to come from the inside. It has to be in our hearts.
Today I encourage you to allow God to change you from the inside out. Allow the Lord to alter the way you see things. Let Him give you a new mentality first and stir up the gifts within you by His spirit. Then you won't keep deciding and defecting, starting and stopping, advancing and retreating. The cycle will stop when you receive divine help everyday. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit”, says the Lord (Zech.
4:6)
In this "self help" society we live in, we're taught to do it ourselves, "think and grow rich," change our lives in five steps. As believers, we know that any type progress does require faith and works, but we must never overlook the importance of reliance on God. Instead of starting out on your feet and on the go, first begin on your knees asking God for His help. You must believe what Hebrews 11:6 says... "...He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
When you make prayer a lifestyle, you'll see your lifestyle change and evolve into what God would have it to be.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs