2016. Welcome.
So every new year there's some kinda trend going around social media. If you paid any attention this year, there were two main trends. First, there were those who were giving people making resolutions a hard time; basically saying resolutions were useless and those making resolutions were "playing themselves" *in my best DJ Khaled voice.* Secondly, there was the whole relationship trend discussion with the hashtags - #ShootYourShot2016 #StrategicPositioning2016 #WasteHerTime2016 #WasteHisTime2016. These were particularly interesting and somewhat disturbing, and from the hashtags you might have a rough idea what these discussions were about, but if you don't, google is your friend :-).
The new year is indeed a time when people try to evaluate their lives and make changes - usually for the better. The problem is, bad habits are hard to break. We look at our lives, we look at things that need some work; anything from biting our nails to relationships we shouldn't have, and we make up our minds to finally try to switch things up and do the right thing. The first couple of days, or even weeks, we have things on lockdown. We're motivated and determined and we want to make these changes a lifestyle. However after those couple of days, vacation is over. Work resumes. And the only thing new about the year is your first bill that just came in the mail. Then it happens. Slowly but surely, we're back to old habits.
For many of us, the changes we want to make are life altering, important changes that will greatly affect our lives, those around us, and even our relationship with God. Starting to go through with these changes and gradually falling back on them feels extremely defeating. Someway, somehow, we get to a place where we begin to think that we can actually never change things; that the things we've been doing wrong can never be right; that the mistakes we've made can never be corrected; that the space we are in, we can never move out of. This feeling of defeat makes us want to settle in where we are and what we are doing, and just forget about change, or what inspired it in the first place.
See, when we look at ourselves and consciously choose to make a change in our lives, it is because we want to get better. Settling and accepting defeat over being unable to stop getting drunk, or taking home any girl at the club, or rolling a blunt and passing it around, or staying out late every saturday such that you can't make it to church on sunday, isn't going to make you a better person. I know it's day 8, and you already relapsed into your bad habit, and you're feeling disappointed and defeated in your attempt to make a change. I understand. But you need to realize that it takes much more than 8 days to break behaviour that might have taken months, or even years to become a habit.
We're not supernatural beings. We're human. We WILL fail. Inevitably. But don't settle back into the behaviour you're trying to get rid of or the character you're trying to change because of one or two mistakes. Don't make excuses for yourself just so you can keep doing what you love, even though you know it is wrong. Don't get rid of half of the behaviour and keep the other half because half change is better than none. Don't try to convince yourself that you can't change because you tried but failed. See, there is no right way to do a wrong thing, no matter how hard you try.
For some people it might be a breeze in the park to make changes. For others, you might have to wake up every single day and make a conscious decision to be a different person. You might have to ask God for strength and help every single day. You might have to try extra hard each day the sun rises to choose to do what is right. And you might still fail. But failure isn't the end. It just gives you another chance to try again. God's mercies are new every morning, and his grace is always sufficient. He knows your heart. In the words of Jonathan McReynolds, "limps are every flaw that keeps us from having an otherwise perfect form. And we were born handicapped, but God gives us strength back... if you just keep on walking with your limp." (Song - Limp, Album - Life Music Stage Two)
What is it that you're battling with? What is that one thing that you desperately need to change that has a firm grip on you? What is your limp? Don't try to get a walker, a wheelchair, or a stick to make you more comfortable with your limp. Just keep walking. Change isn't meant to be comfortable. It's just meant to be positive. It may take time, but God has all the strength you need.
It's just day 8. You have 357 days left. And the best thing about this is, God's love, grace, and mercies never expire.
That's no right wrong... as i do it.
~***shanpepe*~
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