If you want life to be different, you have to do something different.
It’s not rocket science. It’s not something that only I could come up with. My guess is that your normal fourth grader could come to the same conclusion.
If that is true, then why do we keep doing the same things over and over expecting a different result? You know, of course, that the preceding sentence is one popular and famous definition of insanity.
I often get to counsel with people who want different results without different actions. Isn’t this the reason for the popularity of diet pills and the “secret” to weight loss? We like the idea of a different result, but we don’t want to change.
With the beginning of the New Year, we need to do things differently in order to get a different result.
I think about families. What will you do differently as a family to make life better? Most counselors will tell you that every family has a “system.” In order to get different results, you have to change the family system. Would you moms and dads, husbands and wives, look deeply at your own behaviors, attitudes, and language? Would you be willing to change to make life better?
What about you as an individual? What do you need to change to get a different result? Should it be your diet, your behavior, your attitude?
For the month of January, we are going to ask you do something different. We want you to spend 21 days in intense spiritual growth and reflection asking God to bring change to your life and asking God to bring awakening to our state. This will be something different. You may want to bring fasting in as well. Let’s make this a serious time to plead with God for our state and nation.
My sermon series in January-February will be “Living in Turbulent Times,” a look at how God worked during the time of the Kings of Israel and Judah. This will be something different. I have never preached a series from Kings or a series emphasizing the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Let’s get serious about the kind of change that we as individuals need and the kind that our nation needs. Let us ask God to bring a different result in our church, our state, our nation, and in our lives.
If you would like to receive my daily posts, you can subscribe to waylonbailey.com below. Simply type in your email address and click subscribe. It’s free and easy. When you receive a return email, confirm your desire to subscribe by clicking on the link.
Waylonbailey.com is my ministry across the Internet. I would appreciate your subscribing and also forwarding this and other posts to your friends. Thanks for your help and support.
7 Responses
Just a thought…perhaps we don’t reflect on our past experiences enough to learn from them. We just move along hoping and praying for a better outcome next time – just as you said, doing the same things over and over somehow believing things will turn out better. Perhaps if we took the time to reflect, we would observe some things that we want to change and learn what we need to do to get a better outcome next time. Besides the time it takes to stop and reflect, many times reflection can make us uncomfortable, because we have to admit that we do need to change. However, without taking the time to reflect, we will continue doing the same things and getting the same outcomes and never do things differently …and never learn…and never change…and never make life better.
“Reflection turns experience into insight”.- J. Maxwell
I agree completely. Reflection is vital. That is what makes the beginning of the year such a great time. Tomorrow’s post takes this a step further. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Comments in a blog are very important to getting discussion and insight going. I always read the comments as well as the blog.
R u going to guide us via blog for the 21 days?
Not on a daily basis at this point but I will give guidance. We are suggesting Jan 11-31 but some may want to begin Jan 1
How is my question…
Thinking of something I want to change in particular about myself (my reaction to things –the way I say it, and the welling up of a reaction itself) as well as a personal relationship with a family member –its been strained for YEARS…I told someone just yesterday “I am done but I don’t know how to be done”. There is my problem…I want the change but I don’t know how to affectively bring it about…
I am interested in taking that 21 day challenge…I want change…I am willing and where I am not willing I want to be…
I believe that the two largest barriers to change are the two you have mentioned. You have to know what the problem is and be willing to change. You have come a long way. Don’t get weary in doing well (Galatians 6:2). Don’t give up or quit even if you fail.
The one thing I would recommend: Get up tomorrow and begin the day with Scripture and prayer. Read Galatians 6:2 and promise God that you won’t quit. Then pick one area that you need to change and ask God to help you to accomplish that for tomorrow. Don’t ask for two days help. Ask for one (Give us this day our daily bread). Then get up Monday and do it over again. You will find tremendous power in this simple approach.
Also, make sure that you go to church tomorrow. Focus on God and what He can do, not on what you can’t do.
Let me know if I can help with something else.