Planning and having to make changes in our lives can at first seem overwhelming when you realise the level of work and change needed. It’s why it pays not to try and do everything all at once but to break your plans into bite-size tasks and changes until any habits and way of thinking adjust to align with your desired future and success.
We usually know the course to take or how to find out, and if we don’t God says we can seek Him and His wisdom on what to do. His Word says, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
A simple example is when as a family we made a plan to have a healthier diet and determined to eat less sugar. As a result, we limited adding refined sugar to our meals and baking and replaced it with a healthier alternative. The key for us was to implement small changes rather than banning sugar altogether - Trust me with six kids that would not have worked, but now as we've implemented steps to change our habits, our kids reach for the sugar-free option or choose an alternative to sugar most of the time.
Good change brings growth but it’s easier to talk about doing what we know to do, rather than actually doing it.
A key to overcoming resistance and hurdles to change is, to first seek God's best for you, make a plan with Him and then implement small changes progressively over time.
To do that it helps to:
1. Be self-aware – Observe yourself and make a note of your thought process and what you do and say in your day-to-day life. This helps us to note our behaviors and thought patterns so that we can be better prepared to initiate change where relevant and necessary.
2. Replace a negative with a positive – Change is easier if we replace a habit or lifestyle choice by rewarding ourselves with something positive, rather than just trying to focus on not doing something.
3. Realise you have help – God says, “nothing is impossible for those who believe, and that we can do all things because He gives us strength.” He promises He will lead and guide us and He also has people at the ready who will encourage and support us if we need them. (Philippians 4:13; Luke 1;37; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Today I encourage you to observe yourself for a few days and examine and even write down what you are thinking, saying, and doing and line these observations up against God's Word and what, “you know to do and be.
If you realise you are stuck and struggling with the plan or change, I recommend seeking God's guidance, help, and counsel so you can make some positive steps forward for the better.
Then choose wisely and make small changes so you can start moving in the direction you want to be heading; do something new every week and remember to surround yourself with those who will encourage you.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Choose this week to begin to take those steps to implement God’s best plan for your life.
As Catherine of Sienna once said, when “When we be who God meant us to be, we will set the world on fire” and be someone who influences all those around us for good.
Prayer: Lord thank you that you give me the strength and ability to make a plan, take a step and implement any changes necessary so that I can continue to grow and develop my potential, know you more, and live the life you always had planned for me. In Jesus name Amen.
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