Change

2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone the new is here!"

Change is not easy. But creating new and better patterns and habits in our lives is worth the challenge. And the Bible says that "We can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives us strength." Phil. 4:13

When I first decided to start running, It was a hard change to make in my sedentary lifestyle, because I am basically a lazy person. If I didn't have to get up and exercise every day (otherwise I'd be as big as a house), I know that I would not. But I do, because I know that I have a very slow metabolism and exercise is Gods gift to help me to keep my weight under control.  So I started by making very small changes in my life. The first thing I did was start taking a walk during my lunch hour at work. Little by little I added either more time, or a little bit of jogging to add variety. Soon I decided to get up a little earlier in the morning and do my walk/jog before work. After a little while I was doing more jogging then walking. And not long after that I was doing all running. These were small steps that I decided to make in order to improve my life.  None of them, of themselves, were very hard to do. The hardest part was making the decision to do it.   That's where all change starts.

You must decide what you want to change. Get a clear picture in your mind of what and where you will be after the change.  For me that part  was easy because I knew that I was going on a vacation to Key West, Florida, and I wanted to look good in a bathing suit or shorts. So I pictured myself in a bathing suit on the beach in Florida. Not the current self, but the way I wanted to look.  I had already started a healthy eating program and had lost some weight, so it was positive next step for me to start an exercise program.  And an upcoming vacation was the perfect motivation that I needed to get started.

Now exercise is a lifestyle habit. That Key West vacation was in the year 2000. And since then I have run several half marathons and a marathon and continue a healthy lifestyle of exercise on a regular basis.

I don't believe that it is ever too late to change. Yes, change can be hard. Especially if you're looking at changing something that is very drastic, but empowered by the Holy Spirit we are able to do much more than we ever thought possible.

Like Joyce Meyer says, "You don't have to live in your old ways. You can now make new, better choices empowered by the Holy Spirit. If you find yourself regretting some of the unwise choices you've made in the past, don't be deceived into thinking its too late to do anything about it. Just start doing what's right and stick with it".

 If at some time you fall down and mess up. Just get back up and start where you left off. Change is inevitable. You can either be the subject of change or the instigator of change. You choose.