All the Things I Cannot Change

God does not promise resolutions and simple answers, but as we struggle toward growth and change, He promises His strength to work powerfully in us.

Click here to listen to this devotional written and narrated by Mary Folkerts.

Have you ever felt a desperate need for a circumstance to change? It may be a situation that seems entirely out of your control, and all you can do is pray. And if you are honest, praying leaves you feeling deflated because nothing seems to shift. I’ve been there more times than I care to count, leaving me feeling unraveled and out of control. All the while, I sidestep the thought that God might want me to change.

With a clearer understanding of what God wants, my inner dialogue with Him becomes argumentative. But Lord, why must I change when I am not wrong? Besides, I have tried to change, but their change is more necessary than mine! 

In my wrestling, God begins to point out some of my critical points of weakness:

1. I am struggling with my strength.

If you were to continue listening to my debate with God, it might sound something like this: 

Me: “I can’t leave it alone, God! I must do or say something to make this better!” 

God (more times than not): “No, you don’t. You need to trust me while you wait in faith.

Me: “But God, when I release control and give You a chance to show up, I lose patience and take control back again! I have tried to wait and trust, but I can’t change.

God (gently): “I know. I understand the dance, but Child, the power to change isn’t yours alone. It is a gift I have given you through the Holy Spirit, who lives within you. The more you meet with me, the more you learn to trust my strength to work through you.”

Me: “But if I trust You, do you promise to change my circumstances, eventually? “

God: “I promise to change you.”

“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29, ESV).

How does genuine change happen? In one of his sermons, Tim Keller said consistent time with God results in spiritual growth. “You need Him (the Holy Spirit) as your counselor, and you say... what are His office hours?... (He) with all of his power, is in his office -- sacraments, church, quiet time, devotions, prayer—are you getting His counseling?”  

The struggle for heart change is real, but too often, I don’t rely on the Holy Spirit’s power within me to realize that change. 

2. I am trying to be in control.

I don’t like situations that are out of my control. I become anxious and am fearful when I can’t see resolutions to challenges, but what if God wants me in that unresolved spot? Could my out-of-control circumstance benefit me by making me wholly dependent on Him? 

Stripped of my self-sufficiency, I must lean into God’s power and faithfulness. It’s an uncomfortable place, but God does not guarantee our comfort. Struggles turn me to God, and the more time I spend with Him, the more like Him I become, understanding His gentle nudges of conviction and direction.

God does not promise resolutions and simple answers, but as we struggle toward growth and change, He promises His strength to work powerfully in us.

Please, dear Lord, let your Holy presence satisfy me. 

Friend, do you have a challenging situation that you want God to change? Maybe God wants to change you through the struggle.

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