If our spouse would just change! If our family members would just get it together. If our co-workers would only act right! If our church family would just be who they should be life would be so great! How often do we fall into this mindset and focus on everything other people need to change about themselves?

There are times we face situations and we want God to step in and change everyone around us. It is so easy to see how they need to change. If God would just show them what they are doing wrong and what they have done to us life would be great. If He would just change their attitude, their outlook, their character traits, their walk with Him, and their personality. If only He would make then exactly like we think they should be life would be so much better and we could all get along!! We could be happy and our relationships would be so much better.

I think it is time for us to change that way of thinking, our focus, our mindset that everyone around us needs to change. It is time for us to refocus and look to ourselves and ask God what in us needs to change. We cannot and should not be trying to change those around us. Our job is to focus on changing ourselves by allowing God full access to our lives. God knows exactly what each individual needs and He knows exactly who He created each person to be. We have no idea who He has created others to be and yet at times we pray like we know exactly who they should be. If we really take the time to focus on ourselves and the changes we need to make we would not have time to be so focused on others. I am not saying we shouldn’t pray for others. I am saying that we should avoid praying manipulative prayers that focus on asking God to make them who and what we think they should be.

When we pray for others the very best prayers we can pray is for God to make them exactly who He created them to be. For them to walk in their full identity, purpose , and potential given to them by God. What better prayer is there? If we are all walking in the identity He has given us we stop hurting each other, we become more like Him, and we impact the world for His kingdom.

It is time for us to say, “God change me. Make me who You created me to be. Remove every attitude in me that is not pleasing to You. Show me to how to love like You love, how to see others like You see them, and how to speak to others like You speak to them.”

It is time to lay every situation at His feet, stop worrying, stop trying to figure it out, and just rest in Him. Refocus your life on allowing Him to make the changes in you that He wants to make and let Him work everything else out. There are things that no matter how hard you try you will never figure them out. The only thing that will happen is you will get wore out, frustrated, and possibly even start dealing with trust issues toward God. Lay it down. The burden was never meant for you to carry. He wants you to lay it at His feet and stop allowing it to beat you up, change you, or make you into someone you do not even recognize anymore. Pain, hurt, mistrust, frustration, fear, worry, doubt, and confusion are not from God, and they are not yours to carry. The enemy lies to us and says situations happen and that we must carry the effects of those situations for the rest of our lives, but that is a lie. When we truly surrender to God and lay them at His feet He comes in and heals us. When He heals, He does it perfectly so even the scars do not remain. Do not believe the lies of the enemy and think this is your lot in life and that you will never get free. Jesus is still in the chain breaking business. He is you Healer, He is your Salvation, and He is your Deliverer. There is no chain to strong for Him to break. Speak to your mountain and tell it your Savior is bigger, greater, and stronger. Tell your mountain to move in the name of Jesus and then expect it to crumble. Walk by faith and not by sight! When life looks like it is falling apart refuse to let it make you fear. Remember your God is on the throne and nothing or no one will ever take His throne from Him. Not the circumstances of life, death, or the enemy. Don’t allow these things to remove Him from the throne of your life either.

Matthew 17:20 He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry