Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month’s post from our LO sister member, Gabby Riewerts! If you want to be a part of this incredible community, you can join today and get your first week FREE! Find out more about this online sisterhood HERE. And for more info about what LO sister is all about, visit our Instagram Page!
Now, enjoy today’s post from Gabby 🙂
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Have you ever been presented with something in your life that you felt needed to be changed? This something can be as simple as a negative mindset, attitude, daily habit, or perception that you hold. Either way, there is still this calling for change. While change in many cases is difficult to face, uncomfortable as fear creeps in about a new circumstance, the biggest question that arises when I reflect on the calling for change in my own life is, Am I willing?
It was on my heart for a period of weeks, to read the book of Colossians. I prayed about it for days and asked God for Him to speak to me and show me what it was that He wanted me to take away from reading. One night I finally sat down, unplugged, and opened up my Bible to Colossians. In all honesty I was confused mostly while reading, confused as to why it would be on my heart to read something that I could not understand. I kept reading, and when I got to chapter 3 it all made sense. Chapter 3 discusses the calling to put to death our earthly ways and to instead put on a new self, and in my own life this chapter became significant. I have been in the midst of a struggle of truly living for Christ and surrendering my worldly ways to truly walk in His light. I for so long have been living for this world, getting caught up in the aspects of what they think of me, say about me, how I look and present myself to the world, in in the midst of trying to change myself and conform to the world, I have lost sight of who God is, who He calls me to be, and the way He is loving and always the same and constant.
A question that was placed on my heart after reading that night was, Am I willing? I’ve been seeing many ways I’ve fallen short and turned away from God and towards the world, giving into habits such as cursing, gossiping, comparison, negative mindsets, bitterness, impatience, and issues with trust and control. I’ve prayed about changing and truly letting go and living for Christ, but frustrations stirred everytime I stumbled and honestly felt unworthy and that change, healing, and fully stepping into this life was out of reach for me and grew quite comfortable and allowed myself to live in my hurt and heartbreak. I followed my emotions and carried weight after weight and allowed each one to define me rather than refine me. Through this reflection I have been able to ask myself what I want to do, and am I willing to do it. Examples of these questions are:
- I want to change and leave behind bitterness and feeling stuck but am I willing to quit the habits that I have fallen into that have allowed such to grow in my heart?
- I want to walk in His light but am I willing to leave my toxic “comfort zone”?
- I want to heal but am I willing to heavily face my emotions, forgive as I am called to do and take another step forward?
- I want to grow with God, but am I willing to pause and prioritize time with Him?
- I want to see through His perspective, but a, I willing to not only believe in Him but believe Him?
With these reflections, I can see now the difference between a want and a willingness to do something. It’s been easy for me to want to change and grow in my relationship with God, but I must be willing to get into His word and spend more time with him than the world, social media, my to do lists, and my distractions. I wish I could say that my response to being willing to make such changes has always been yes, however, I can say now that it is and that is a beautiful step.
It’s not always easy for the need for change to be admitted, or for us to put aside our pride and admit our ways are not good. However, we are loved and called by our Creator to do just that. Colossians 3: 10 tells us to, “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” It is recognized that we are faced with the ways of the world and the ways that we may allow them to have an influence over our lives, but we are called to put on our new selves that have been made in the image of God, isn’t that beautiful? It is so beautiful to know that transformation is possible through Him, and is what He calls us to do.
The words that I am sharing in this blog are to the girl who feels that change is out of reach, believing the lies being whispered that they are unworthy, and too far gone. Lift your eyes to Him, and know that you were made with purpose and intention and called for so much greater than the lies that are being whispered lead you to believe. We are sometimes faced with situations that test our reliance on His strength, but it is through them that He can truly work through us. Through this work in us He can help us weed out what needs to be changed from the root and instead allow what He planted in us to grow in its place. So, bring it all to Him through prayer. Seek his wisdom, strength, perspective, and guidance. Trust in Him and know that He knows the heaviness in your heart and wants to help you. Transformation is possible and He is calling you to it and guiding you every step of the way. I challenge you today to ask yourself, are you willing? For my fellow sisters who may be struggling I hope that you can step into your calling and find peace in knowing that you are loved and have a loving and never changing God fighting for you.
This is very encouraging and pretty much hit on everything God has been teaching me throughout this past month!