I'm sure you've asked this question of yourself and of others. Why does change take so long to be manifested in our lives? In our hearts, we desperately want to change those old rotten behaviours and habits, so we can be more like Christ. We all want to be more loving, more forgiving, more patient, more understanding. Right?
Well here's what I got from my devotional time with the Lord this morning.
At times changes take long because of the following;
1)We are slow learners.
How often have you failed at something and thought,"Not again! I thought I knew better." We humans tend to quickly forget the lessons God teaches us and revert to old attitudes and patterns of behaviour. Hebrews 2:1(NIV) says,"We must pay more careful attention, therefore to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away"
2)We have a lot to unlearn.
We go to a counselor with a problem that took years to develop and we say,"Fix me in one hour".
Our problems did not develop overnight and they will not disappear overnight. There's no pill, prayer or principle that will instantly undo the damage of many years. It requires the hard work of removal and repalcement. We have to take off the old patterns, practices and pedispositions of the old sinful nature and put on the new person of Christ.
3) Growth is painful.
Every change involves a loss of some kind. We must let go of our old ways to experience the new life that Christ has promised. And if we are truly honest, we fear these loses, even if our old ways are self-defeating. We fear them because like old worn out shoes, they are comfortable and familiar.
4)Habits take time to develop
Our character is the sum total of our habits.Our habits are the sum total of our thinking. Romans 12;2 Promises us that God will transform us by the renewing of our minds.
So change your thinking, you change your habits. Change your habits, you change your behaviour. Change your behaviour, you change your character. Change your character, you change your destiny. But this all takes time to develop. And there is only one way to develop Christlike character; you must practice it over and over and over again. There are no instant habits.
1Timothy 4:15(GWT) Paul tells Timothy to "Practice these things. Devote your life to them."
Change takes time, but change will come. Keep on doing the right thing, the Godly thing over and over. Devote your life to it, not just a day, a week or a month and change will come.
( Some Excerpts taken from,'The Word for you Today" daily Devotional)
