MAKE BELIEVE
We all like to make believe that we are perfect, that we do no wrong, make no mistakes, and have it all together. Sadly, this isn’t the case. We’re not perfect, we do wrong, we make bad choices, and we make a lot of mistakes. I’m certainly guilty of trying to be perfect, but without fail humanity kicks in and proves that I’m not. We all have changes we need to make in our lives whether it be: relationships, diet, attitude, perspectives, or thought patterns. The problem is we like change on our terms. We like change when it makes us feel good or look good. The moment changing requires us to do something we don’t like or that doesn’t make us feel good, we resist it. Let’s talk about what we do when it’s time to change…
When it’s time to change we LIE TO OURSELVES. We are all guilty of willfully lying to ourselves about our problems and the things we need to adjust and change in our lives. Here’s a fact: if you argue against reality you will suffer. It is very easy to lie and deny the facts about the issues in our lives. Once you do this, you create a pattern of lying and denial in your life. Don’t get me wrong, our intentions for lying to ourselves are not bad. In fact, we lie to ourselves because we seek comfort, but comfort is overrated. We want to believe our lie because if we consider the truth, it could hurt our precious ego. You may ask, “How do I know if I’m lying to myself and am in denial?” You know that you are lying to yourself when you look for distractions so that you can avoid the real stuff, the hard problems, the truth. You distract yourself instead of actually working on the issues in your life. Do not forget the process to dealing with the problems: face them, confess them, and understand what they are. At some point you have to ask yourself the question, “What is my contribution to the dysfunction in my life?”, and tell the truth.
For if you embrace the truth, it will release more freedom into your lives.
John 8:32
When it’s time to change we FALSIFY THE FACTS. We like to invent and concoct excuses for our bad behavior. We find ourselves blame shifting and pointing our finger at everyone else but ourselves. In order to make positive changes in your life you have to stop talking about what “they” did and start talking about what YOU did. Stop looking at everyone else and look at yourself. Most of our problems have been created by our choices. Change your choices. Choose to own up to the role you played in the mess that has been made. Remember, you will never see new fruit until you first deal with the root.
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Deuteronomy 30:19
Is any of this easy? Of course not. It’s a challenge. Call the issues in your life what they are. Challenge them and change them. Give yourself permission to be better than you currently are. The way you do that is to just simply choose. It’s an everyday choice we have to make. It’s gonna hurt and it won’t be easy. The good news is, you’ll come out looking better and being the best version of YOU!
