Truth

So, I just signed up for the "Daily Hope with Rick Warren" last week. It basically sends you a short one page email devotional every morning from Rick Warren who is the famous Pastor from Saddleback Church in California and the author of the well known book The Purpose Driven Life. I knew that as I went through this change in lifestyle after breaking free from my stronghold, that I needed to fill my emptiness in my heart and soul with more of The Word and with more prayer. Both have improved greatly over the last week! I think it is very important to read The Word directly from the Bible, but I also really like to hear what different Christian writers and Pastors have to say about it too. It's been amazing the way God has spoken to me every day this past week. Every single devotional from Rick Warren has been so relevant to something going on in my life and have spoken on topics and issues that I really needed to hear about. The devotional for today was titled "Principles for Personal Change: Truth" and here is a great excerpt from it that really hit home for me:

"The secret to personal change is not willpower. The secret is to know and face the truth. You must know and face the truth about yourself, your relationships, and your own nature.

Nothing will change in your life until you know and face the truth about your weaknesses, your relationships, your successes and failures, and your past and future.

Nothing changes until you know and face the truth. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ.

Why is it necessary to learn the truth before anything can change in your life? Here’s why: Behind every self-defeating habit in my life is a lie that I believe. If you get in debt, it's because you believed some lies like “I can spend and get away with it” or “I can always pay it back.” You might have overestimated how much you were going to make, or you believed the lie that you needed a much bigger house.

But do you? Are you sure it's the truth? Can you prove it's the truth? Are you absolutely certain that what you believe you've said about your finances is true? What about your relationships? What about the things you say to yourself about yourself? Is the way you think about your past or about some event the truth, or is the truth what God says about it?"

I think I tried to avoid my personal truth over the last 2 years. A truth that was staring me in the face, that I tried to conquer through my own willpower. I didn't want to face the truth about my relationships or my own personal weaknesses. It's really hard to admit to one's flaws and inadequacies and to rely on God to perfect you through His grace. I am so grateful that He has been patient with me and has loved me all the same, even through knowing all my weaknesses and stubbornness. I am so grateful that He has helped reveal the Truth to me so that I can be set free to an abundant life through his son, Jesus Christ.