Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Jesus …  

Get in a relationship with Him. 

Join a church where He’s believed and talked about. 

Read the history book that tells His story. 

I could stop now and have this be my shortest and most comprehensive blog post I’ve ever written. It almost didn’t seem worth writing because the answer’s so obvious, but it hasn’t always been. 

A dozen projects and people ago, I broke down because I couldn’t complete or change any of them. After 10 years of trying to force, trick, and bribe myself into finishing a writing work in progress, I questioned if I’d ever do anything constructive again. There’s no explanation why I’m doing it now except Jesus. 

Since I’m proof I couldn’t change myself, I’m pretty sure I can’t change you either. Okay, I’m positively sure I can’t. I have to admit, though, turning people into projects died hard. So did letting go of them to Jesus. I had plenty of days I didn’t trust that He’d change them right or at all, but His track record continues to be better than mine.

Reverend Chuck Murphy, our late preacher at The Abbey, said there are three ways God motivates us to change: 

• We learn enough 
• We’re given enough 
• We’re in enough pain.

He didn’t say I’d inspire change if I talked enough.

I knew I needed to be quiet, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t until last March when God shut down the world that He also shut my mouth. Just like that, I stopped telling people how to live their lives. I stopped giving my opinion. I stopped making my point. In fact, I stopped talking to some people altogether, which turned out to be necessary for a season. 

Just like my writing, I don’t know how He calmed me down enough to quiet me, but it had to be Him.

Are you still trying to change yourself or someone else? I promise you that unless you’re counting on Jesus, change won’t happen. I have more stories about trying and failing if you need to hear them.

In This Together, 
Kim