Okay, this is not exactly the best title you’ve ever read, but by the time you finish reading this, I know it will be something you find useful.

God doesn’t violate free will. He allows us to choose to do wrong even when it is going to hurt us. Free will was so important to God that He created humans and angels with the ability to choose to reject Him. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us to God, but we still have to choose to listen.

Change is a process. We first become aware of a problem. We need to accept that it needs to be fixed. We then become willing to change whatever needs to change in order to resolve the problem. And finally, we work on changing our behavior.  Eventually, if we continue to work on change, we will have developed a new habit that will be fairly automatic.

But what happens when you aren’t willing to change? Carol and her husband Rick had a lot of unresolved issues in their 26 year marriage. The resentments and bickering were constant with both of them attacking the other with blame, sarcasm, and hurtful comments. Neither one of them were willing to be the first to hold up the white flag of surrender. When talking with Carol who was again complaining about the marital problems and focusing on everything Rick was doing wrong, I asked her what she could change to make the marriage better. She hesitated and then said, “Well, I guess I could treat him nicer, but I don’t want to!” I agreed with her and stated that she had a responsibility not to be blaming, sarcastic, and hurtful to him, regardless of what he did to her, and that she needed to ask God to help her to want to stop.

All of us want to hang on to old behavior because it is comfortable and convenient. It gets us what we want and works in our favor in more ways for now than if we changed it. But what if there is a nagging awareness that you need to change your behavior beneath that stubborn unwillingness? You ask God to make you willing to be willing. It is a prayer He will always answer because He responds to honesty, humility, and a cry for help. He wants you to change and will help you be willing to do it.

By Karla Downing

Relationship Devotional Prayer

 
God,

Make me willing to be willing in those areas of my life that I am super-resistant to change.

Relationship Devotional Challenge

• Think of an area in your life that you are unwilling to change but you know it is something that would be good to change.
• Ask God to make you willing to be willing. Pray that prayer until you are willing.

Scripture Meditation

 
Psalm 51:10-12

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (NIV).