Ouch ouch ouch. Nobody likes to HURT! And you are telling me that if I want to experience growth, I will also experience some pain? Is that how we get the term 'growing pains'?
When I first began working out, I experienced the post workout days of sore muscles. But it was a good kind of ache. I knew I was using muscles that had long been dormant and it felt good to know I was using them. I knew I was getting strong and I liked that feeling. When I set my heart and mind to grow in my relationship with Jesus, I experienced some 'growing pains' as well. I faced new challenges and hurtles that gave me pause. If I prayed for more patience, I was given opportunities to practice patience. Uggh. That was NOT how I had envisioned it going!
Total Honesty: growth requires a little discomfort! A little inconvenience. Anything important in our lives is going to require effort and discipline. Yet how amazed we are when we actually begin to make this plan happen!
I am going to start walking through a process of changing my bad habits to good ones. And whether I apply this to the areas of exercise and weight management or my spiritual life, the process will be the same. It takes time to develop a habit whether it is good or bad. I am learning right now about change being a process and how the process has FIVE steps. Over the next few days I am going to be studying out the 5 steps and I invite you to walk through them with me.
The 5 steps are:
* Identifying the problem
* Prioritizing the problem
* Planning the solution
* Implementing the solution
* Following through
People often approach fitness (be it physical or spiritual) as a journey. A journey will focus your attention for a period of time but it can fall short of process. A journey many change your location but a process changes you.
I believe that using this formula for process has been very effective for lasting change and I am willing to give it a good solid try. Are you with me?
I've been thinking a lot about growth lately. Great post!
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