Personal Change Starts With the Truth

In Ephesians 4:21 I read, “You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him.” (NLT)

The secret to personal change is not willpower. The secret is to know and face the truth. So, if I want to change, I must know and face the truth about myself and my nature.

I also need to face the truth about my weaknesses, relationships, successes, failures, past, and future.

Nothing changes until I know and face the truth. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ.

Why is it necessary to learn the truth before anything can change in my life? Behind every self-defeating habit in my life is a lie that I believe.

If in debt, it might be because I believed some lies like “I can spend and get away with it” or “I can always pay it back.” I might have overestimated how much I was going to make, or I believed the lie that I needed a much bigger house.

But do I? Am I sure it’s the truth? Can I prove it’s the truth? Am I absolutely certain that what I’ve believed about my finances is true?

How about my relationships? What about the things I say to myself about myself? Is the way I think about my past true? Or is the truth what God says about it?

The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. The truth sets me free. The apostle Paul says, “You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him” (Ephesians 4:21 NLT).

Who is the truth? It’s Jesus. And because Jesus is the truth, he will always tell me the truth. His Word is the truth. The Bible is his Word, and that means the Bible is truth. 

What I hear on television or read in books won’t always help me, because it’s not always the truth. In fact, if I consistently listen to what voices around me are saying, I’ll find my life built on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, and half-truths. And I will never change.

But what God tells me is always the truth. God’s Word shows me how to get back to the life I was created to live, and then it shows me how to stay on God’s path. This is why it is so important for me to have a daily quiet time in the Word of God. Nothing will change until I get the truth into my heart.

Continue to choose to face and respond to the truth. Then I’ll begin to see positive change in my life.

In summary, the truth comes from Jesus. The secret to personal change is not willpower, but to know and face the truth. So, to change, I must know and face the truth about myself and my nature. I need to also face the truth about my weaknesses, relationships, successes, failures, past, and future. Nothing changes until I know and face the truth. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ. Behind every self-defeating habit in my life is a lie that I believe. So, consider is this the truth? Can I prove it? Am I absolutely certain that what I’ve believed about it is true? The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. The truth sets me free. Who is the truth? It’s Jesus, and he will always tell me the truth. What I hear in and on the media won’t always help me, because it’s not always the truth. In fact, if I consistently listen to what voices around me are saying, I’ll find my life built on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, and half-truths. But what God tells me is always the truth. God’s Word shows me how to get back to the life I was created to live, and then it shows me how to stay on God’s path. Nothing will change until I get the truth into my heart. Choose to face and respond to the truth. Then I’ll begin to see positive change in my life.

In this life, others should be able to see a difference between a believer in Christ and a non-believer by the way a believer lives. I am to live as a person of light. Living a believers life is a process. While I have a new nature, I don't automatically think all good thoughts and express the right attitudes. My old way of life before I became a believer is in the past. When I decided to accept Christ's gift of salvation, it was both a one-for-all-time decision and then daily conscious commitments. I am not to be driven by desire and impulse. I must put on my new nature, and head in a new direction that the Holy Spirit provides. 

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Father, help me to face and embrace the truth that comes from Jesus and your Word. Help me to see beyond my self-defeating habits and lies I have believed. Also help me to get on track with your Word and your desires.

Today, I ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen.