No one can follow Christ and be the same person as they were before they met Him. This is the reason why you change. For a long time I myself served God to the best of my knowledge, while keeping many parts of my life the way I was used to living it (doin’ my own thing!). One day after being in a bad relationship with a guy I decided to give God my all. I was fed up with the way the world dealt with a lot of things – from relationships to materialism. Nothing fulfilled my heart.
1. Get uncomfortable with your old habits
From that day, when I decided to give God my all in all, my life truly changed. God left nothing behind when I turned my back to the world. Back then, when the transition was occurring I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t know how to act around the people I was so familiar with while going through these changes. I needed to learn how to say no. I lost a lot of friends and have been estranged from my old habits. God gave me a new life, a new perspective. He did not only changed me, He made me better.
2. Seek Him first so He can give you all He has prepared for you
Nothing in this world will give you what you truly desire. True pleasure comes from being with God. He will give you ‘love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22 AMP). Even in the mist of your storm. Under one condition, give Him ALL you have. Don’t leave anything behind. I do warn you, the change will be challenging. But don’t wait. God has so much in store for you that you won’t even have room enough to receive it. He will do exceedingly, abundantly and above all. He never fails.
3. The suffering of Christ and your season of change
“Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life.
You have already lived long enough like people who don’t know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshiped disgusting idols.
Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. But they will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. The good news has even been preached to the dead, so that after they have been judged for what they have done in this life, their spirits will live with God.
Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray. Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins. Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever.
Amen.”
1 Peter 4:1-11 CEV
