Relief is the road we most often want to take. It is easy to find, it is a quick fix and it is comes from somewhere outside of our own heart... but it never lasts. When trials and suffering grip us and threaten to take us under, relief whispers to our soul, "I am what you need." Relief is that shortcut we want to take, leaving us on the side of the road, never realizing how close we came to somewhere so much better. Relief tricks us into thinking that it has brought us joy, when in reality it has fooled us into settling for a cheap substitute...momentary happiness. Joy lives further down the street. But we can only find her when we keep going. When we wade through the muck and the fog and persevere. So how do we know when we have found change and not relief?
Because change
....is hard work
....always includes a willingness to be honest and accept responsibility for our part
....comes when our hearts are truly grieved, not just sorry we got caught
....means looking at the difficult and the deep
...takes time
.... lasts
....brings joy even if the circumstances and people around you may stay the same
....is motivated and empowered by the love, sacrifice and grace given to us in Christ
When we choose change, instead of relief, God's love changes us. The more we understand and accept His love, grace and truth the more we are not just changed, we are transformed. It is a lifelong journey. As real heart change comes, the more we become like Christ. Not just a temporary quick fix, short-lived happiness will be ours...but a deep abiding joy that lasts...no matter what may come.
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