Effect a Change

As I watch over the news of the day; the headlines, the social media stories, the monthly awareness', and such, I came to a small subject... Effect a Change.  It's not a new thing.  It's not a new hashtag buzzword.  In fact, it is an exceedingly long subject, yet I will do my best to be succinct.

Simply one word in the topic can send someone's blood boiling; change.  In my experience and those around me, it comes in the form of "I hate change."  Yet for this discussion, change is something that most people seem to have a longing desire for with seldom success.

How can we Effect a Change?  What does it take to change an item in your life?  We comically seek out a new year to begin a new page in our life with a resolution.  How often do we veer away from that resolution?  Is that resolution ever resolved?

Referring back to news headlines, I saw an article on my social media feed in which a mom realized her grave decision, leaving her child in the car while she ran an errand..."he paid the price" was the outtake of the headline.  Being a father, I nearly well-up with tears when I see or read about a child succombing to any kind of injury, let alone death.

We read about how people get frustrated over social media postings and instead of working them out or simply ignoring what are most likely lies, their anger manifests into a physical action with later regret.

How many of us have some form of addiction?  We can deny it and to some we can even call it minor or not a health or similar life threatening issue, yet it is an addiction.  Most of mankind will agree that the abuse of prescription drugs/painkillers, illegal drugs, alcoholism, and so on are life threatening addictions, however there are not as life threatening addictions as well.  Take for instance drinking pop (aka soda), though a can/bottle once a day or occasionally is not bad, a steady diet of a six-pack or more daily could pose health risks later in life.  Yet, it is still considered an addition if you have a problem putting that can aside for any length of time.  We can say that same about coffee, tea, and so on.

There are multitudes of addictions that are in our present day.  What addiction are you dealing with that you would like to remove yourself from?  What chain keeps you anchored from other events?  Think about how the addiction could be eating away valuable time that could be used elsewhere for your family, your spouse, serving God, working on the to-do/honey-do list, etc.

I once was consumed with a lack of time management.  Today, I still fight a battle for time, but I have learned to better use my time for my God, family, and the variety of household necessities that need to be completed.  Very seldom do I have time to keep up on the latest television show/series or am wasteful of my time in other potential addictions.  I once was an addict to pop but was able to combat it with looking at what impact it was having on my life and restricting how much I intake.

I Effected a Change.  I chose to make a change in my life to better myself for my family and myself.

Though this is not a biblical sermon, it is a message of change.  God wants change in your life.  Obviously, that change is for the sinner/unbeliever of Christ to become a believer and to follow Christ, sharing the message of what Jesus did and how He freed us from our sins by dying on the cross, burying our sins and raising again after three days.  All we need to do is believe and accept that we were once sinners and now we believe in the Savior.

Is there a change you need to effect?  Consider what is chaining/hindering you from what you want in health, life, or your future and make that movement and perform the change.

Effect a Change in your life for you are the only one that can make that action.