How to Have the Courage to Change - 93.7 The Light

How to Have the Courage to Change

Randy Carlson PRESIDENT, FAMILY LIFE RADIO

Ask yourself this question: What is it in my own life that I need to change?

Change starts by first taking 100 percent responsibility for our thoughts....our actions....and our attitudes. The common theme behind the various failures and disappointments that many of us experience in our lives....is that we too often fail to take personal responsibility for our lives.

Much of our culture does anything but take responsibility. Too many individuals and groups in this world want to point to someone else....or some other group....and say: "it's their fault." We need to have the courage to change, and until we accept the reality of this law of personal responsibility, we can't grow spiritually and relationally into a mature adult.

Christianity isn't a passive religion; following Jesus is a continual act of faith. The Bible uses words like choose, defend, fight, forgive, love, plant, seek, teach, train, visit, work, and worship. The Bible is full of these verbs that show us--very clearly---how to live an active faith. God's design for us is to be intentional in taking these verbs and living them out:

When we choose to be intentional---to take the verb, and use the verb---to act on that verb in our lives---with things like our relationships, our finances, our faith, our health---when we choose to take positive action---there will be a payoff for that.

Being intentional and accepting personal responsibility allows us to have the courage to change by facing the reality in our life as it is today....and that leads to actions that glorify God and bring improvements to our lives.

Randy Carlson suggests that we ask ourselves this question: Do you know the current condition of the things that are most valuable in your life?

Proverbs 27:23 is a warning about change in our lives. It says this: "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." In other words, have the ongoing wisdom to know the condition of what's most valuable in your life.

Change in our lives won't happen until we stop....and figure out....what needs to be changed. Again, the wisdom here is to know the condition of your flocks.

Too many people are careless in figuring out what's really most valuable in their lives. Some examples:

? Someone who knows being involved with pornography will destroy their marriage, and yet they stay involved in pornography.

? Someone who realizes that being abusive to another person destroys relationships, and yet, they continue to be abusive.

? Or a person who knows that wasting time results in failure, but still chooses to waste time.

? Or....how many of us, when it comes to our health, know what we need to do to be healthier but we don't do it?

Why? We become careless. We don't pay attention to the condition of our flocks.

So....Randy Carlson suggests doing a self-assessment---for your own benefit---of ten vital areas of your life to determine if you're weaker or stronger than you were a year ago. In reality, there more than ten areas, but these are important ones to focus on. If you answer the questions honestly, you'll see the area---or areas--- of your life that are weaker or stronger than they were before?

1. Is your family life weaker or stronger today than it was a year ago?

2. What about the state of your marriage? If you're not married, consider the close relationships that you have.

3. Where are you today as you look at your view of God, your relationship with Christ, and your relationship with God. Is it something that's stronger than it was a year ago....or weaker?

4. How about your thinking and your attitude? Is your attitude about life either up or down, or your thinking about the things in your life weaker or stronger than a year ago?

5. How do you view your work? Do you see yourself being stronger or weaker as an employee carrying out what God has given you to do?

6. What about your personal life? When you look inside your own life, would you say your personal life is stronger or weaker?

7. How about friendships?

8. Now consider your health. There's an ongoing tendency to grow weaker with years, especially if you don't evaluate your health. Do you think your health is weaker today or is it stronger than a year ago?

9. Are your finances in better shape? This doesn't necessarily mean you have more money, but do you have a better handle on it than you did a year ago?

10. What's the condition of your property---the stuff that you own? Do you take care of the things that God has given you?

These ten things are all tied together, and it's important to stop from time-to-time and ask the question, how am I doing in these important areas of my life? And then---from an "intentional living" perspective, ask the question: what one thing could I do in the next 30 days that would make the biggest difference in this area of my life?

Having the courage to change begins with being intentional and accepting personal responsibility for every part of our lives....and asking ourselves specific questions that'll reveal parts of our lives that need change. As Proverbs 27:23 reminds us: It's about always knowing the "condition of our flocks".

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