Change My "Want to"

Life change doesn't always happen easily, quickly or because of "want to." A lot of times we make changes due to pain, obligation, and/or because someone told us we "should." Many times, however, change occurs even when we don't seek it out. I wasn't looking to make changes in my eating and nutrition habits, but when Amy presented it to me (after a friend presented it to her), I was willing to try it. Thankfully we did. When it came to home schooling our children, we did not seek it out or ever plan to do it, but when the opportunity presented itself, we ran with it. We are grateful we did.

Change usually comes down to a choice between God's best and what the world has to offer. It shouldn't be a hard choice to make, but at times it is. Unfortunately, I have had to learn the hard way too often. It would be best if I would simply trust God at His word and choose His ways first and foremost. I'm a work in progress.

David Platt, author of Follow Me, said in his book...

As we trust in Christ, he transforms our heart in such a way that we begin to love the things of God that we once hated and we begin to hate the things of this world that we once loved...Instead of trying to conquer sin by working hard to change our actions, we can conquer sin by trusting Christ to change our affections...The passionate pursuit of true, deep and lasting satisfaction always leads to Jesus.

It's not only about behavior modification, trying harder, or simply "doing the right thing." Those are necessary, and boundaries and accountability are a must. However, they are insufficient in and of themselves. True, deep, long lasting change comes through surrender. Our "want to" has to be changed and transformed by Christ.

As Kyle Idleman says in his book, gods at war, the idols in our life don't need to be tamed, they need to be "dethroned," torn down, removed, replaced, and destroyed. Otherwise, it becomes behavior modification, rather than inner heart change. Heart and "affection" changes lead to behavior change. God has to change our hearts to be in line with His. The more we "taste and see that He is good" and that the world's empty promises lead to our death and destruction, the more we move toward surrender to Him and freedom in Him (hopefully).

It took a collapse of everything around me and in me to finally get it. I am grateful that God said, "Enough. No more. I'm going to end this madness and turn Scotty's life upside down and free him up." As Matt Chandler said in a sermon (paraphrase), "The wrath of God would be to leave us in our sin." God's grace pulled me out. How humbling and freeing. I am forever grateful He didn't leave me in the far country. That's an act of His grace, love and mercy.

I have a choice. Choose the empty things of this world OR trust Jesus, and choose Him, His ways, and His best. Do I love Him enough to obey and trust Him, even when things seems difficult, hopeless, or uncertain? I hope so. It's a daily surrendering of my will for His. As He changes my heart and "want to," the things of this world grow dim, and His light shines brighter and brighter.

John 14:23-24 (NIRV)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. The words you hear me say are not my own. They belong to the Father who sent me."