By Ms. Sasha
Change is the transformation process of one state to another. Sometimes, this transformation is out of our control. Other times, we can play a part in its process. Knowing that, when change doesn’t take place, it can be confusing. In those moments we often throw up our hands and say, “Oh well…it must not be God’s will,” and quit. But before we give up completely, let’s ask ourselves if God is trying to develop our faith in some area. Many times, there are things we haven’t considered that are hindering change. Here are 6 hacks to help you achieve next-level blessings.
- Reject The Status Quo
- Avoid Things Counter-Productive
- Invest in Personal Growth
- Have Quality Conversations with God to Ignite a Spark
- Draw Inspiration from Others’ Transformation
- Get Inspired by Adjusting Your Atmosphere
Reject The Status Quo
Never accept a bad condition as inevitable. As long as you are still breathing, bad situations are not permanent. In fact, bad situations often evolve into good ones after we start believing that change is possible. Sometimes, switching to a glass-half-full mentality is challenging though, because we get comfortable with accepting the current condition. Being hopeful takes practice, but if you have an inkling that a situation could be better, that’s God talking to you. Research Bible verses that provide hope, and practice substituting all the negative words you would normally tell God about your situation with encouraging scriptures during your prayer time.
Bad situations often evolve into good ones after we start believing that change is possible.
Avoid Things Counter-Productive to Influence Change
Sometimes, we do things that are the opposite of what we should be doing. I’m not talking about taking a reasonable break to rest. I’m talking about self-sabotaging habits. These are counter-productive. Webster defines counter-productive as “tending to hinder the attainment of a desired goal.”
I had to face the fact that the original problem was still there, unresolved.
For example, early in my marriage, in the middle of arguments, I used to leave the house, get in my car, and drive straight until I was tired of driving. I wasn’t going anywhere in particular, but looking at the passing evergreens and hearing the sounds of the other cars wisping past me on the road gave me the distance I needed from the sound of disagreement. This getaway was only good for me, however. It did nothing for my husband except cause a bunch of swirling questions about where I had gone. In fact, when I returned, the temporary refreshment I had while I was away diminished quickly when I had to face the fact that the original problem was still there, unresolved.
After a while, God spoke to my heart about how this method of coping was completely fruitless and was fostering more problems. Finding new ways to cope was one of the best moves I made early in my marriage. It helped me to communicate much more effectively. After a short while, my husband couldn’t help but notice my growth and made changes to his communication style as well. This change propelled us forward light years.
In life, your spouse, friend, child, or boss will often be compelled to grow personally at a different time than you do. In this time, it’s important to do what you know is right, show team effort, and boost your faith. Doing counterproductive things takes our eyes off the problem to the point that we are no longer working to resolve it. Self-sabotaging habits waste time that you and I will never get back. The ticket to moving forward is being mature and putting in the work towards the vision that God gave you for your marriage, for your job, and for your friendships.
Invest In Personal Growth to Promote Change
Being counterproductive is harmful, but doing nothing toward your goal is equally harmful. Not taking the time to invest in your goals leaves you ill-prepared to handle success when you reach it.
Sometimes, the belief that we are too busy interferes with our opportunities to grow and develop. However, we have to make time for development.
You may be thinking, “I know, I know. You’re going to tell me that I’ll see where I have time by writing a list and prioritizing it. Well, let’s start even simpler than that. Think about the time of day when you have the most physical energy. Set an alarm on your phone so that during this time each day, you stop for five minutes and do some work, preferably in an area that you think is fun. This may start with watching a short tutorial on YouTube or just practicing something you’re already good at, like singing.
These things seem minuscule, but each step gets you further to where you need to be. The more prepared you are, the more successful you will be when you reach your goal, and the more willing people with decision-making power are to give you a chance.
Have Quality Conversations with God to Ignite Change
Prayer is pivotal to change. In prayer, God gives instructions and the peace that we need to propel us into the change we need. With prayer, we can feel confident that we no longer have to go around in circles trying to solve situations all by ourselves. As the Bible teaches us, faith (believing that God can change a situation) is required for change, and faith is developed in our prayer time.
When we hear the Word of God, we are made aware of the realm of possibilities beyond what we previously thought was possible. However, if we don’t take the promises of the scriptures and talk to God about them, our faith ends there.
For example, in romantic relationships, it feels good to hear our mates say, “I love you.” However, without ongoing conversation and time spent together, there are no opportunities to see if our mates really mean it. Although God always loves us, we can be more sure of his love when we take time to meet with him in prayer. When we show up for conversations with God, he has promised to show up for us.
With consistent communication, we can hear God respond specifically to our concerns. He responds by sharing with us how the promises in his Word apply to our lives personally. Prayer is where we find out if the desire in our heart only requires us to tweak a finite detail in our lives or if an area needs a total revamp. Prayer gives us confidence that God really loves us. After we pray, we no longer need to view change as a DIY project. We can be sure that we have help, and that God will provide details that help us through the changes we hope for.
Draw Inspiration from Others' Transformation
Most people don’t realize that situations can change until they can see transformation underway. It’s hard to picture success without a glimpse of hope. I once knew a pair of twins that both wished for years that they could lose weight. We will call them Jessica and Ashley.
She was amazed at Jessica’s transformation and had witnessed it first-hand.
On their 30th birthday, Jessica decided that enough was enough and started her weight loss journey full fledge. Ashley was supportive, but secretly skeptical, as both she and her sister had attempted weight loss together before. Jessica was determined this time though. After six months, she had lost a whopping 50 pounds! By that time, Ashley became very encouraged.
Transformation fascinates the human mind. It is amazing to watch the process of trees trading their green garb for shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown before shedding, revealing their wintery bark each year. Change is natural and can be beautiful. To activate change in our lives, we must allow ourselves to physically see change and be around people that have changed.
Inspire Change by Adjusting Your Atmosphere
Changing our atmosphere, even briefly, helps us to deal with life with a clearer head. It freshens our perspective while we’re waiting. Doing the same thing every day can be boring. So, implementing a small change to your routine can be an incredible fix. For me, seeing things that change naturally is inspiring. Watching the snow fall from the sky, and then going back to see the white blanket that has covered the ground is amazing. Whatever you love (healthy habits win here,) can give you a fresh space to energize your spirit. I love listening to music outside. As a matter of fact, I’m writing this post in my car with the windows down, as I listen to music. It re-energizes me and helps keep me going as I believe for the changes I desire. You may love making a coffee run in the middle of the day. If this is the case, I bet you have a favorite place. Many times, taking a lunch break is what’s needed, so don’t skip it.
While God can wipe a bad situation away, many times, he wants us to put in a little work and mix it with some faith. Even the lame man had to get up and walk to activate the healing that God had for him.