Many of us want to change something about our lives.

Maybe you want to strengthen a relationship, or read the Bible more, or be more consistent in prayer, or volunteer for something meaningful…

Many people think that before they change they have to first have some flashy new insight that will properly motivate them to make the change.

But a lot of the time, how people change is by making a conscious decision to live differently. It’s a choice, an action.

In his book How People Change, Allen Wheelis says that people need to change behaviour first. He writes: “usually change—when it occurs at all—follows long and arduous trying.”

Pastor Ken Smith says it like this: “You can’t steer a parked car. If you want to turn your life around, you’ve got to get moving!”

-If you want to be more consistent in prayer, choose to schedule it in.
-If you’ve neglected God, choose to work in habits that keep you focused on him.
-If there are unaddressed sins in your life, pray for forgiveness, cut them out, and choose to replace those habits with godly ones.
-If you want to strengthen a relationship, choose to make time to talk and be proactive about supporting the other person.

Ephesians 4:22-23 says: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

If you need to change something in your life, don’t passively wait for a random slice of motivation.

Choose godly change. And act accordingly.

“You can’t steer a parked car. If you want to turn your life around, you’ve got to get moving!”

By Matthew Ruttan

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.