How to Change
by Mike James
One of the big themes for the Church of God at this time of year is change. God's holy-day season begins in the spring of the year as winter has ended and spring has sprung. This major seasonal transition is connected to the beginning of God's yearly holy days. One of the things the Days of Unleavened Bread bring to mind is the need for change in our lives. Christ's sacrifice for us reminds us of the need to become more like Christ. We can do this by removing sin from our lives.
The problem is, for carnal flesh-and-blood humans, that is easier said than done. Our biggest helper in making needed change in our lives is having God's Spirit to help us. As we learn God's truth, the formula is to repent, be baptized, and receive God's Spirit (Acts 2:38). This certainly is the most important point in helping us make needed changes in our lives. But are there other tools we can implement along with this?
The answer is a resounding yes! There are a number of great books out there on bringing about personal change in your life. When you study these books, you find that their examples are easily related to biblical concepts. One great book I have read on change is titled, Influencer by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler.
This book looks at six techniques to employ to help bring about change in your life. I will briefly address each of these six points and address scriptural linkage to each of them.
The book describes six key factors that can help you implement major change. Any one of the six items can help, but when you combine all six, the chance for real change increases.
The first point is you must have personal motivation for change. You have to want the change to occur. Some people argue why would a loving God allow pain and suffering in this world if He truly is love. But I believe that is one technique God uses to help make us change. When you realize the world is difficult and arduous, it provides motivation to figure out why it is the way it is. That realization leads some to answers in the Bible. God's Word tells us in Matthew 6:33 we must seek the Kingdom of God first, and then everything else will fall into place. It is clear from that scripture that it is all about personal motivation. Once you understand what that Kingdom is about from the Word of God, you will be motivated to seek it out above everything else.
The second point in creating change is personal ability. You need skills or abilities to help you make the necessary changes. The Bible tells us (John 14:15-17) that God will provide His Spirit to us for the purpose of assisting us in being obedient and following His law. As we keep God's laws and commandments, the lessons they teach will become ingrained in our minds. Practice makes perfect and what you do is what you become.
The third point is social motivation. This is also called the power of one, and it pertains to positive peer pressure being exerted on someone to help them with change. Paul was a mentor and leader to various Church groups because of His relationship with Christ. His influence helped individuals bring about change in their lives. We need to seek out mentors, parents, leaders, and elders and seek one on one support from them as we work to make needed changes in our lives. When married up with the other points we are discussing, these influences all work together to focus an individual toward making needed changes.
Point four is social ability. This could also be likened to the song, "I get by with a little help from my friends." Not only do we need individual help, but also group or team help. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves for a reason. When you become part of a group, team, or church, you can now utilize that support network in your change management endeavors.
The fifth point in helping you change is called structural motivation. This entails the idea of reward and punishment. God addresses this concept throughout the Bible. Think about the blessings and cursings chapter in Deuteronomy 28. Think about a scripture like Romans 6:23. God makes it clear if we have faith and follow Him, we will be rewarded with eternal life. But on the other side, we can suffer death if we don't follow His lead.
The final point to help you implement change is referred to as structural ability. This is all about changing your environment to assist you in making changes. The Bible provides numerous examples of this. Think about God bringing Israel out of Egypt and its influence to worship Him in the wilderness. Think about God's Kingdom coming to this earth to influence humanity in following God. We sometimes need to stay out of certain locations to help make our needed changes. We sometimes need to stay away from bad food choices, TV sets, cell phones, and videos in order to overcome the problems those items bring to our environment.
Again, change is difficult, but having a better understanding of how we can bring about change can make all the difference in succeeding in making changes.
Source: Influencer, by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008).