In any area of life, if we want to grow, we have to be willing to change. Most of us want to improve, but at the same time we resist change. But we can’t have one without the other. Change is possible only if you want it badly enough. Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, said: ‘You are the way you are, because that’s the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you’d be in the process of changing right now.’ Change is never easy. It takes lots of time, tremendous amounts of energy, perseverance, and a desire to change. But the desire to change must then translate into a decision to change. And we must make that conscious decision day after day, otherwise it’s too easy to fall back into our old ways and habits. We need to ask ourselves each morning: ‘Am I going to keep working and trying to get better, or is this as good as it gets?’ The Bible puts it like this: ‘Enlarge the place of your tent; and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.’ What do the words enlarge, stretch, lengthen, and strengthen have in common? They all require commitment and persistence. That’s what it takes to change for us to change our lives. The good news is that with God’s help, we can do it – we just need to invite Him into our decision to change, and allow Him to guide us through it.

What now?

Each morning decide on one thing that you can change or improve. Ask God to help you do it.