Happy Wednesday, church family!
Some people love to change things up constantly. They never eat leftovers, order something new every time at a restaurant, and thrive on ‘out with the old, in with the new’. I, on the other hand, have had the same breakfast for decades. I find what I like at a restaurant and rarely veer from it, and when something ends, it makes me sad. OK, fine, yes, I do have a hard time letting go, but that’s an essay in itself.
Let’s talk about change. On Sunday, Andy preached about breaking generational curses and choices through changing the way we think and choosing differently. Even though ordering something new brings excitement to some people, I think deeper rooted changes are a lot more difficult. We humans are creatures of habit, not necessarily in what we do, but in how we think, and changing those thought patterns does not come easy.
I was raised to downplay successes; I could be proud of what I accomplished, but taught/shown never to brag, or bring attention to myself. The combination of the women’s retreat and this Sunday’s sermon made me realize that this way of thinking had become so ingrained in me, that it’s shifted the way I’ve thought about myself. I learned to diminish my needs and wants as well, as I don’t want to burden others with my stuff.
Without getting into the nitty gritty details, it’s time for a change in thinking. The problem with shifting my thoughts is that it takes work! First of all, I have to consciously be aware of what I want to change, then notice when I’m thinking/making decisions based on that mentality. Then I have to catch myself when I’m thinking the old ways, and remind myself of what Jesus’ truth is. Because, friends, let’s be honest. Those old thoughts I have that I want to change? Well, they aren’t how God sees me.
God, I’ve resisted change all my life. Sometimes, it’s not that big of a deal (like my smoothie choice). But when it comes to ignoring how You see me, and making choices that are just “what I’ve always done”, well, those are the thoughts I need to change. I choose to think differently. I choose to change my mentality to believe in Your truth, I choose to change the way I’ve thought about myself and others, and make the decision daily/hourly to believe Your truth rather than something I’ve heard from others. Thank You for loving me. Bless and seal these good things, in Your name, amen.
May your week be blessed,
Lisa
