Many times we can see how much others need to change and grow. We can even begin to “help” them change because we “know” just what they need. We can spend a lot of time trying to help them and even praying prayers for the areas they need to change. We may pray for who they need to be and what God needs to do in them, but if we are not careful our prayers can be from a place of manipulation and for what we think they need to be. I can’t tell you the number of times I prayed prayers for my husband to be who I thought he needed to be.

There is only one problem with this….we were not created to change others. There is only One who can change us and others. When we try to do things we were not created for it can lead to feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, and discouraged because we feel like we are failing. When we do this we are taking on jobs and responsibilities that were never ours to take on.

We only have one job and that is to fully surrender and submit to God. When He says to do or say something our answer should be yes. He can use our words to touch the hearts of others, send encouragement to them, convict them, spark hope, and teach them, but the words must be from Him every single time. He is our Creator and He knows what each one of us needs and exactly when we need it. When we try to change others all we do is get in His way. We need to be listening to His voice and following His lead and not telling Him what others need. Who better to know the needs of others than Him! He is our Creator and He is also their Creator. He knows who He created one of us to be. We can pray, “Lord, Your will be done in their life, draw them to You, move in their heart to make them look more like You, make them exactly who You created them to be.”

There are times we can get so focused on others that we forget how much we need to change. Our job is to surrender to Him so we can look and act more like Him. As we begin to fully surrender to Him we are changed from the inside out. The old self is stripped away and we are made new in Him. We begin to look like Him, and sound like Him. When we get to that place He can use us to flow through and touch others. There are no short cuts to being used by Him and nothing replaces a surrendered life to Him.

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry

Fullnessofjoyministry@gmail.com