To Change, I Must Face the Truth

“You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him.” Ephesians 4:21 (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. I need to face the truth about my weaknesses, relationships, successes, failures, past, and my future. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ. Nothing in my life can change until I know and face the truth. Why? It’s because behind every self-defeating habit in my life is a lie that I believe.  If in debt, it might be because we believe a lie like, “I can spend and get away with it” or “I can always pay it back.” We might have overestimated how much we were going to make, or or believed the lie that we needed a much bigger house. But did you need that bigger house? Are you sure it’s the truth? Can you prove it’s the truth? Are you absolutely certain that what you’ve believed about your finances is true? What about  relationships? What about the things we say to ourselves about ourselves? Is the way we think about your past true?  Or is the truth what God says about these things? The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. The truth sets us free. The apostle Paul said, “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 us the truth. One of the ways he’ll most often tell us the truth is through his Word. Because the Bible is his Word, the Bible is truth. (read more about that in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.) What we hear on television or read in books won’t always help us—because it’s not always the truth. In fact, if we consistently listen to what voices around us are saying, you’ll find your life built on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, and half-truths. And we 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 us to have a daily quiet time in the Word of God. Nothing will change until we get the truth into our heart. Choose today to face and respond to the truth. Then we'll begin to see positive change in our lives. In summary: Personal change starts with facing and embracing the truth, especially the truth found in Jesus Christ. Change isn’t driven by willpower but by acknowledging the lies that influence our self-defeating habits, such as financial or relational mistakes. The truth is found in Jesus and His Word, which guide us toward real transformation. By consistently engaging with God's truth through the Bible, we can overcome misconceptions and lies that hinder growth, leading to a life aligned with God’s path.