The Key To Staying OUT

Changing your life is more than just a one time decision.  It is waking up every day and making choices that are consistent with your decision to change your life.  You cannot serve two masters.  If life change is what you want, you have to make hard decisions.  You must purge your life of everything that hinders you. That's hard, I know.  Those things in your past are comfortable and convenient.  A new life may be lonely and awkward.  It's really just a question of what do you want. Colossians 1:13 says that "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

He will give you clarity in life decisions.  He will give you strength to live a life worthy of the gift He has given you.  He will give you endurance for the journey.  But, He will NOT make you do it against your own will.  The choice is yours to make every day. You will not stay out of darkness if you choose to leave one foot in your past life and one foot in your new life.  You cannot serve two masters.

Operation Wingman Reflections

Over Labor Day weekend, a group of students traveled to Gulf Shores for "Operation Wingman."  In Metamorphosis we have learned that one of the biggest obstacles to change is finding new friends who will come alongside of you and help you transform your life.  Often times the decision to change your life means starting over with friends or at least taking a break from certain people who aren't helpful with life change. Operation Wingman was a weekend for those who were interested in learning how to be THAT friend as well as for those who need that friend.  Tropical Storm Lee decided to attend the weekend and it was a perfect analogy for overcoming and enduring the storms of life.  We had a blast.  We worshipped in the midst of the storm --literally!

Don't Give Up

Today is a sad day. A friend gave up on life and now hearts are broken. Life-change can be hard and overwhelming. Please remember that you are never alone. Remember that there is always a way out of despair. You are loved. There is a future even if you can't see or imagine it.

Triggers are the First Shots Fired in the Battle

A trigger is anything or anyone who causes you to think about your struggle in a way that tempts you to fall back into your old habits.  Most of us think we can handle whatever life brings our way.  We even think this despite having failed so many times in our past.  For some reason, we believe that THIS TIME things will be different.  So, we put ourselves in situations where triggers find us.  And, we are unprepared for the battle that rages within ourselves.  Yes, that's right.  It's a battle.  If you've had that debate inside your head that goes something like this: "If I do, then ....  Or If I don't, then ..." you probably can recognize it as a battle.  What you may not have realized is that the battle is real.  It's not "just in your head."  If you believe that God is working in your life to bring about transformation, then consider that His enemy is working to sabotage your transformation.  Ponder the times you've messed up when you thought for sure you could handle it. If you walk into battle alone, refusing or ignoring God's help, then you are leaving your fate to your own strength.  You might win some battles but you will eventually lose the war. No man alone is powerful to overcome the enemy every time.  So what about you?  Do you recognize the triggers in your life?  What are you doing about them?

Real Change

If your life seems like the popular song from the last decade of "oops I did it again" then you're probably not experiencing real change.  The problem is you are "trying" to change instead of really changing.  Sometimes we try to change our life but the motivation is to avoid the consequences of our habits rather than a deep desire for a new life. The old adage of "fake it till you make it" eventually stops keeping you out of trouble because it doesn't lead to a change on the inside.  Your actions in life stem from your heart, mind and soul.  Unless those things change, there won't be any real life change . . . only fake changes that may please those around you for a while.

Real change happens when your heart, soul and mind learn to love God.  Here are a few things to think about.

HEART -  Spend time getting to know God and you will love him.  Talk to him (prayer), Read his message to you (the Bible), Listen to Him (be still and listen)

SOUL - Stop living on impulse and instead listen to your soul ("aka "conscious" "little voice in your head") telling you what the right choices are for your life.  Then . . . make the right choice.

MIND - Ask God to help you control your thought life.  Don't indulge or linger when your mind takes you to dark places.  Think good thoughts.

STRENGTH - DON'T GIVE UP!  Don't give up when you get uncomfortable, feel awkward, get bored or face a temptation.  Ask God for strength to live transformed in every situation. 

Jesus said the most important thing for you to do is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."  He knew this was the path to transformation.

Growing Up

Viewing painful experiences as a good thing can be extremely difficult. Losing friends over petty things can either crush you, or force you to evaluate the situation you're in. This week I've realized that a bridge may have been temporarily blocked, but it hasn't been burned... and the detour could lead me to a better destination than my expected path could have. Right now I could choose to feel sorry for myself, or I could say, "Hey. Life threw something my way, I didn't see it coming, but I'm gonna catch it and make the best of it." Maybe this loss will help me overcome insecurities, and branch out to find people who will love me for who I am. That will be a beautiful thing! Having friends that will help me and not pull me down will be a huge change, but a good one. Most of the time I'm stuck in a rut and getting out of it is hard to do when you have nobody that can help you. The same people do the same things over and over and none of us help each other. This events of this week have only given me the hope of new things. These changes will be painful, I know... but they're necessary.
After sharing my heart with a few friends tonight, they gave encouraging responses. "I think you're growing up." That was exactly what I needed to hear. For so long I've felt like I've been regressing, and it was to the point where I felt life was going absolutely nowhere. Giving up seemed like the easiest response. Who knew that more heartache would cause progress? Maybe we're all just caterpillars battling to turn into that beautiful butterfly. A struggle is necessary for strength after the transformation, and we've got to view these trials as opportunities- not barriers.

The Way Out

What controls your life?  At some point we all face the realization that we make dumb decisions that go against what we know to be right.  That point of realization comes at different times for different people but when it comes to you, you have a choice to make.  You can choose to keep doing what you've always done or you can choose the only way to truly change your life.  There is only one way to totally break free from a life where mistakes, bad decisions, and selfish motives are the driving force of your life.  The God who created you has provided a way out that leaves you with the ability to overcome your sinful nature.  That way is Jesus.  Jesus, being the Son of God, came to live among us a very long time ago.  While here on Earth he died as a sacrifice to pay the price for our sin.  For those who make the choice to follow him and put their faith in him, God makes them a new person.  He changes you from the inside out and then helps you live each day making the right decisions if you will make the choice to trust him and rely on His power.  No longer are you controlled by selfishness but instead you can live each day with the power of God that He chooses to give you because of his neverending grace.  He doesn't make you into a puppet.  You still have your free will even after you make the decision to follow God's way out.  It's definitely a journey worth taking.  Have you made that choice?

Is Honesty really the best policy?

Transforming a life takes hard core honesty with yourself, with others and with God. When manipulation and deception have become a way of life it takes honesty to break the cycle.  Dishonesty can take many forms.  In the midst of dishonesty, we convince ourselves that it is the only choice that we have.  The truth is that we always have a choice to be honest.  That DOESN'T mean that being honest will always be rewarding.  Honesty can lead to pain and broken relationships.  But it can also lead to forgivenss and restored relationships.  In the end, a lifestyle of honesty will transform your life. 

How did I get here?

If you've ever found yourself in a situation that you thought you'd never be in, you probably spent your time wondering how you can fix things or get out of trouble. Before you can find a way out, you need to think about what got you there in the first place. So, think about it. What's your story?