HE CAN CHANGE ME

It's really hard indeed to change someone's character, right?

I have a friend from a very simple family. She once told me about her parents, how they used to live in an old way of life, such as cooking with woods, or ironing with charcoal iron. I know that they are not a rich family, but I think they all are hard workers, including my friend. She worked in a company and without her sister living with her, she has to work for the sake of her family. I think her effort is not in vain. With her salary, she tried to ease her parents life by giving them things, such as gas stove or electrical iron. She hoped that those stuff could make her parents' lives easier. (They don't have to buy charcoal and use the heavy charcoal iron. They do not need to find woods when they want to cook something.) It's a very good and kind intention, I think. She wants a better life for her parents. But, in fact, her intention was not really succeeded. Her parents still used the old stuff, woods and charcoal iron.

Changing a character has almost the same proses as changing a habit. You need to adjust yourself with something new, get used to it, and do it until it becomes the part of you. The difference is it takes longer time to change someone's character than to change his habit. Some people said that it needs at least 21 days to change someone's habit (My friend's parents finally uses the gas stove and the electrical iron several months later.). But, it takes years, or may be a lifetime to change someone's character.

A character is influenced by conditions, environments, surroundings, everything connected with a person since he was born, even since he was a fetus. If someone grows in good family, good environment, he has greater potention of having a healthy, good character. On contrary, a person surrounded by violence and other deviation in society has a greater potention of having a deviate character. Here we know that if a character is built through times, it also take times to change it.

I have experienced it by myself. It is very difficult to change into a patient person, someone who doesn't take everything too serious so that she isn't angry easily. I have to face moments testing my patience in order to be a better person, a patient person.

You may experience the same thing. You want to be a better person but it is too hard to do. But let us remember that there is nothing too hard for our Lord. He can do everything, including things we considered too hard to do, including things we considered impossible. He can change you and me.

I believe that the process is not easy, but we have God who will empower us to make it. Doesn't He create us for good things, good purposes? He will enable us to do things, even impossible things. He will change us to be good people, better people, the best people. He is able to do so.

Just surrender our life to God during the process. I say again, it will not be easy, it will never be easy. But, it will not be in vain, for He can do great things through you and me when we surrender.

Father, I surrender my life to You. I want to be a better person for You, and You're the only one who can change me. I give myself into Your process. Give me a heart that will not give up easily. Strengthen me along my way to the place where You are. I know it won't be easy, but I also know that there is nothing impossible for You. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
Jer. 24:7