At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”If we only look at the challenges to living a life that is rooted in Love First, we may not be convinced of how important a vision it is. Because to look at challenges and want to surmount them is to admit that we may need to make some changes, and change scares us. (Fear of the unknown is in that Top 10...)
Matthew 18:1-4
In her online article on “How to Deal With Change,” life coach Terri Babers reminds us that change is always coming...and whether you look forward to it with anticipation or dread, it can be stressful. One of the biggest things we can do to prepare ourselves for making changes is to adjust our thinking. Attitude plays a huge part in dealing with challenges and with the changes they bring. Some steps to help us deal with change include:
- Simply notice that it is happening. Don’t try to run and hide.
- Face your feelings about the changes needed. Get past “Why me?” and “I don’t want to!” and “This isn’t fair!” Figure out your fears and face them.
- Determine whether or not the change is something you are willing to do. Don’t say you’re willing when you aren’t.
- Adopt an attitude of grateful anticipation. Know that God is in control and you have made the decision to live out his vision.
- Choose your thoughts and attitudes for each change. Negative thoughts block creativity and problem-solving. Positive thoughts build bridges to opportunities and possibilities.
- Learn to relax (more). Relaxation helps us deal with change.
- Set your goals in such a way that you can consciously guide the change.
God’s vision for Christ, and for us, is to love God and love others. Our lives need to be conscious of that all of the time. Choosing to live under that vision of Love First helps us to make any changes we may need to make to deal with the challenges that will come.
Your Mission
Pray the Serenity prayer today. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
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