Inner Transformation
By Sarah Walker
By Sarah Walker
If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
If you google “self-improvement,” in
.48 seconds, you will have access to over 124,000,000 articles to help you be
your best you…from “42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself” to “Self-Improvement
Checklists”!
Clearly, there’s no shortage of resources on self-improvement, and, indeed, it’s necessary for each person to improve. However, when it comes to spiritual change, I’ve found that the more my attention turns inward and I’m focused on myself, the more I see my own sinful shortcomings. The more I try to fix myself to be more godly, the more I realize just how incapable I am of renewing myself.
When we will ourselves to improve, we may see success for a time. We may feel in control of our own transformation, but honestly, it’s an illusion. It doesn’t satisfy or provide lasting joy. Only Jesus Christ can do that. When we turn the control over to Him and let Him do His refining work in our lives, He’ll do what we can’t do as He changes us from the inside. We won’t have to force our way to change, using sheer willpower to get us there.
Our own hard work at changing ourselves and removing our sinful patterns will always fail. Perhaps not right away. Perhaps we can claim success for a time, believing that we did it, that we improved ourselves solely through our own efforts. But eventually it - - and all the safeguards and controls we’ve put in place - - will fail.
This has been a battle for me in my parenting. I thought I had good safeguards in place to ensure my fear or anger never got the upper hand, but reality proved me wrong. I’ve lost my temper at my kids more times than I care to admit. And when I’ve tried to change myself, I have always failed because each attempt involved my trying to elicit change in my own power.
What I’ve discovered is that despite all the self-improvement resources out there, it’s only when I’ve released my control to God, letting Him change me from the inside out, that I begin to see real changes. That’s not to say that I never lose my temper or make decisions out of fear. I still do. A lot. But God is faithfully changing me from the inside, and He will do the same for you if you let Him.
Clearly, there’s no shortage of resources on self-improvement, and, indeed, it’s necessary for each person to improve. However, when it comes to spiritual change, I’ve found that the more my attention turns inward and I’m focused on myself, the more I see my own sinful shortcomings. The more I try to fix myself to be more godly, the more I realize just how incapable I am of renewing myself.
When we will ourselves to improve, we may see success for a time. We may feel in control of our own transformation, but honestly, it’s an illusion. It doesn’t satisfy or provide lasting joy. Only Jesus Christ can do that. When we turn the control over to Him and let Him do His refining work in our lives, He’ll do what we can’t do as He changes us from the inside. We won’t have to force our way to change, using sheer willpower to get us there.
Our own hard work at changing ourselves and removing our sinful patterns will always fail. Perhaps not right away. Perhaps we can claim success for a time, believing that we did it, that we improved ourselves solely through our own efforts. But eventually it - - and all the safeguards and controls we’ve put in place - - will fail.
This has been a battle for me in my parenting. I thought I had good safeguards in place to ensure my fear or anger never got the upper hand, but reality proved me wrong. I’ve lost my temper at my kids more times than I care to admit. And when I’ve tried to change myself, I have always failed because each attempt involved my trying to elicit change in my own power.
What I’ve discovered is that despite all the self-improvement resources out there, it’s only when I’ve released my control to God, letting Him change me from the inside out, that I begin to see real changes. That’s not to say that I never lose my temper or make decisions out of fear. I still do. A lot. But God is faithfully changing me from the inside, and He will do the same for you if you let Him.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
If you are trying to
change yourself through your own willpower, will you release your control to
Jesus and let Him transform you from the inside?
Sarah is married to Scott and is a
full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small
group focused on prayer and are expecting to welcome their third child in
January.
