Partner with God in the Journey to a Better You

Families often celebrate special days and holidays with traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Attempting to keep prior traditions consistent for both families, a young couple traveled to the home of each of their parents for the holidays. However, the situation was particularly complicated at Christmas. Each set of parents went to church on Christmas Eve and opened presents on Christmas morning. The young couple couldn’t be at two different places at the same time. Hurt feelings always seemed to be the result of their good intentions to honor their families’ traditions.

In order to help this young couple, one of the families expressed a willingness to change some of their time-honored customs. After some experimentation, they discovered that some of their traditions were important enough to keep the same, while others could be changed or dropped altogether. They even added some new activities to their holiday celebrations.

Embrace Change

Being open to change allowed this couple to work towards a harmonious solution at the holidays. The same willingness to embrace change is important in our personal lives as well. As we allow God to enter into more areas of our lives, we demonstrate our willingness to change and to allow him free rein to remove our character defects. This readiness requires our ultimate surrender and involves some pain and resistance. Some of our old habits can stay the same, others can be changed, and still others are best to be dropped completely. Nonproductive habitual behaviors can be replaced with new and better activities. This process takes time, but God is true to his word, and he has promised, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this” (Psalm 37:5).

Most, if not all, of us would be more than willing to leave behind certain character defects. The sooner the better. But let’s face it: Some defects are hard to give up. An alcoholic may hit bottom and be ready to stop drinking. But is she ready to be speak truthfully at all times? Stop being envious of her neighbors and friends? Be ready to let go of her anger or resentments? Like weeds in a garden, defects of character that have been with us for a long time have developed roots. But you and God – together – can go after these defects. All of them.

God is With You in the Journey

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” (Matthew 5:6)

We need to remember that sin is the symptom of a character defect. That sin is like a weed in a garden: It will keep reappearing unless it’s pulled out by the roots – the actual character defect that caused the particular sin or allowed it to happen.

God is amazingly patient. He doesn’t impose his will on us but waits for us to invite him in. He won’t come in and clean up an area unless we invite him in.

It has been said that “willingness is the key that goes into the lock and opens the door that allows God to begin to remove your character defects.” Psalm 143:10 invites, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

For Reflection

• What are some character defects you’re more than ready to give up?
• What are some character defects that will be harder for you to let go of?
• In Psalm 143:10, what does “level ground” mean to you?

Drawn from the NIV Celebrate Recovery Study Bible.