SELF RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

How can I overcome resistance to Change?

I am going to answer this question directed to our self resistance to change. Most of us don't like any change to the status quo. However, as believers who have been regenerated at baptism and are now going through a renewal process change is inevitable. We don't like anything that impinges on our freedom to do what we want. However, to be involved in the renewal process we need to submit to the leading of God's Spirit that indwells us and move forward overcoming our resistance to obey and do God's will in our lives.

How do we do that?

The answer is that God never leaves us without the means to accomplish whatever He requires of us. He readily gives His Holy Spirit to all who His in order that they may continue in the renewing of their minds as new creations in the lord Jesus, God's anointed one. We are told from scripture that God will give us wisdom and more of His Spirit to all who ask. Most of the time we already have the spiritual power to overcome resistance to change, but we don't exercise it. God will never force us to do anything, as that would transgress our freedom of choice. We are however held responsible and accountable to our God and our Father Yehovah if we do not exercise the power He has give us to overcome the resistance we might have to change.

Faith involves a total commitment to obey the words our God and Father gave to His son to give to us. Even as Jesus said, the words he spoke were not his own but the words of his God and Father, whose Spirit was in him without measure! We need to utilize the Spirit of God in us to carry out and do what He wants us to do as His sons and daughters. He has given us all the means to do what He requires of us and now it is up to each one of us to obey and do HIs will. Ŧhe renewal process involves loving our God and our Father with all of our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is impossible without the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God and of the lord Jesus in us. To love our God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves we need to realize that doing so is an ongoing progressive process that will lead us to become mature men and women in the lord Jesus.

Paul says that ".... our inner man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor:4:16). Indeed as God's workmanship He is by His indwelling presence in us renewing us day by day as we submit to Him totally committed to doing His will in our lives. We understand that the very word 'renewal," implies that the old nature still exists in us. By God's grace, the old nature is being removed progressively in the renewal process. So in reality the old nature is still present in the Christian life but it is steadily being removed as we move closer to the image of God's anointed one. Every day in the renewal process, we move one step closer to our final destination.

Paul says: "In reference to your former manner of life; you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of you mind."

Attitudes are hard to change, but we must bear in mind that the old self and new self are incompatible. God's Spirit changes the attitude of our minds. Romans 12:2 says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." We have to be committed to the renewing of our mind and forsake all that has to do with our old nature. It is constant battle with our old nature that enables us to grow in strength and overcome in the new life in the lord Jesus. We are in the process of being renewed into the image of God's anointed one, thereby making us into a whole new person - a new creation in the lord Jesus. To that end the "old man" is discarded like old clothes and the "new man" is "put on" like a new garment!