Change Can Happen for You! (2)
Here are two more life-changing principles: (1) You must be willing to change unconditionally. In the early stage of therapy counsellors come across the ‘change–if’ syndrome. The client sees change as a strategy of give-to-get: ‘I’ll change if they are willing to do… If not, I won’t.’ With God, your reward for changing is intrinsic. You get the joy of His approval, plus all the benefits that follow from being a changed person. This includes God’s gift of ‘...ointment to put on your eyes, so that you may see.’ (Revelation 3:18 GNT) The ability to see things clearly will enable you to understand the problem and deal with it effectively, regardless of what someone else does or doesn’t do. (2) You must accept the truth that change means letting go of the past. Whatever you cling to ultimately controls you. If the offence resulted from your actions, or the loss from your poor judgment, confess it to God, receive forgiveness and leave it at the Cross. If it was the other person’s fault but you’ve held onto it because you think you’re the innocent party and ‘are owed’, the freedom you miss out on and the options you miss are too high a price for the comfort of being right. ‘Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) will release you from the chains of resentment, giving you back your future. If you’re bound by chains of regret over ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ God stands ready to make your future better than your past could ever have been.(Joel 2:25)