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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Do I Really Want to Change?


"How can I know what God is showing me if I'm too afraid to look?"

I read that tonight in a book I'm using for Bible study and thought, "Wow---yep, that's me!" 

Do I really want the change I'm asking God for?  Yes, I do, but I want it to happen immediately, easily, and without any pain or discomfort!

"I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them."  ~Isaiah 48:6

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.  To get something you've never had before, you'll need to do something you've never done before.


Sometimes we don't get immediate answers from God because he wants us to decide within ourselves whether or not we really want the change we're asking for.

Maybe you know you want a change but you don't know what the change is and so you don't know how to pray for it.  Here's a great prayer for a starting point:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." ~Psalm 51: 10

Maybe you think you want a change but you can't ask for it with an honest heart because you want to orchestrate exactly when and how the change occurs.  Here's something else I read in a devotional book:  "Do you have 'control issues'?  The need to have power over something?  Try controlling your tongue and taking power over bad attitudes and harmful habits."  Ouch.


We can be sure that God hears us when we ask him to change us.  We can be sure he will answer when we ask him to make us more like him.  Often times, the change isn't the problem.  The problem is having patience during the process!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  old things have passed away;  behold, all things have become new."  ~2 Corinthians 5:17

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Linking with:

Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Sheltering Linkup @ A Sheltering Tree
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace and Crafts
Legacy Leaver Thursday @ Leaving a Legacy
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits @ Stone Gable  
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Thoughtful Thursday @ Found the Marbles 
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal
Or So She Says...
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Finding the Pretty & Delicious @ Your Homebased Mom
30 Min. Linkup @ 30 Days
Sharing Creative Ideas @ Made By Joey
Sunday Showcase Party@Under the Table and Dreaming 
Sundae Scoop @ I heart nap time
The Creative Homemaker Hop 
Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life
One More Time
Sunday Blog Hop @ Cuddlebug Cuties
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife 
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Mondays with Countrified Hicks
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Courtship Connection
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
The Bliss Project Linkup @ Grace-Full Intentions    

17 comments:

  1. Love this post! Good stuff! I'll have to read it again. :)

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  2. And what are the names of the book and devotional? :)

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  3. It is so much easier to ask for the change, than it is to actually do what is required for the change to happen. When we try to control things they usually backfire! Good words, Sarah!

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  4. Enjoyed your post. I personally don't like change, but often it is a necessary fact of life. I am glad Jesus never changes. I am a neighbor at Tracy's Wed site.

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  5. Great post and something that my husband I were just talking about yesterday. Our children are so sweet (at times). My oldest was upset the other day that Jesus wasn't nominated for a superhero on the Nickelodeon teen choice awards....5 minutes later he was fighting with his brother. While the kids are loud and noisy...they will eventually grow up and move away...Sometimes it is just nice to love in the now being grateful for what and for those around us. We don't need change sometimes just to accept and trust

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  6. Sometimes we read or see things when we are supposed to and that is how I feel after reading your post! I want to make a change in a certain part of my life and I struggle with it. It's almost easier to take the beating I give myself over failure than to take the steps required to be the person I want to become. WOW! I loved reading your words! Anyway, I am here at this linky party, too, and will now be your newest follower! I would love to have you pop over to my blog and take a look around. I always love making new friends! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with everyone!!

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  7. Wow....I love this post....Just what I needed to read...thank you so much for sharing at One More Time Events.

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  8. Beautifully said Sarah! The Cost of Discipleship (book title) is also a well thought idea if you look at it closely...we don't want to pay the cost to have a close walk with the Lord because it costs more than we've considered. Being like Christ is sometimes so very hard in this skin we abide in..and it makes the words of Paul when he laments his flesh seem our own words. Or it SHOULD!! Daily dying to self.
    Thanks so much for sharing your heart.
    Blessings,
    Doni

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  9. I like the part about taking control of what you "can" control instead, Sarah. That's a great thought and this is something I think we all struggle with. Thanks for being so authentic about it here.

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  10. Fear--not on God's good girl list. I remember so vividly a comment someone made to me years ago, someone who knew they needed to change something big in their lives and she said to me, "If I do that, I don't know who I'll be." Indeed. And from God's perspective, that's exactly the point. Someone new.

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  11. Thanks for sharing on the HomeAcre hop and please join us again this week: http://everythinghomewithcarol.com/self-sufficient-homeacre-hop-and-herbal-tea-giveaway/

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  12. Thanks for sharing this with The Bliss Project. I struggle to get down to the root of the "do I really want to change?" question. My Dad used to ask me, "how bad do you want it?" In other words, whatever "it" is, how much are you willing to work to get there. This can also be applied to our desire to change, while also realizing that no good change can happen apart from Christ. He has to make the change in us.

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  13. Amen...and, often times, the things we think are SO important to change are not at all God's priorities for us! :) Thanks for your sweet comments!

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  14. This was so good... I needed to hear that!

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  15. Oh yes, that is so true! We want change and we want it NOW!!!!

    Being patient is hard but we have to trust that God is doing what's best for us!

    Thanks so much for linking up to the "Making Your Home Sing Monday" linky party today! :)

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  16. Amen sister! Instead of praying for God to change others, we need to change ourselves. Change can be challanging, but necessary for growth. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  17. Excellent challenge! And we can be assured that God wants to change us (once we are ready) because He IS transforming us into the image of His Son!! Thanks for sharing this.

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Mrs. Sarah Coller

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