I have been a rut. Stuck. And at times, wondering, “Who the heck am I becoming?” You become someone based of your everyday choices. Everything you say, everywhere you go, every behavior you take part in…everything. It all shapes you and molds you as a person.

I have been very reflective lately, and it has caused me to really look at myself and who I have become. In being honest, I do not like all of what I see. Upon noticing this, I realized I had to make drastic changes in my behavior, attitude, habits, and pretty much every major part of my life. Change was necessary to become who I really want to be. No more compromise, no more laziness, and definitely no more complacency. I want to live up to my potential, and be the person I know I am actually capable of being, even if I do not have the full picture. The same thing has happened with friends of mine, people I love and care about deeply. Friends who continue behaving in certain ways and yet wonder why life is not going well. Friends that cannot seem to understand why their relationship with God has disappeared or gone dry. Friends who wonder why about so many things.  Well let me tell you what I have been learning recently…

Decide the kind of person you want to be. Who are you capable of becoming? And go for it. I am not talking about the dream job or perfect family. No- I am referring to who you are now and will be as a person. Figure that out first. But then look at your life now. Are you behaviors hindering or helping you in being that person? Simply put, are you all talk about it yet have no desire to change who you are now to be who you really want to be?

Let me explain it in a more tangible way, something I decided I wanted to do to become more of who I want to be. I work out pretty regularly, but lately I have become a little out of shape due to being busy and then tired because of being so busy. I have compromised working out for the sake of rest, which in turn has not been the best decision because if I am not healthy, rest can only do so much. So I decided recently to increase my workouts again and push through the exhaustion; what do you know, I feel better than ever. On top of that, I started a fitness program called Insanity- it basically kicks you into shape. My point is simply this: if you want to lose weight, put in the effort to workout. If you want to be a better Christian, put in the effort to read the Word, pray, spend time with Godly people, and actually go to church rather than sleeping in because you are tired. If you want to date the perfect guy- a guy who treats you with respect, loves the Lord, and is in a good place in life, then- to be blunt- get your act together, stop messing around with “okay” guys for the sake of pleasure, spend time with God, and realize this: a guy who loves the Lord deeply does not want a girl who compromises her integrity [and vice versus].

Overall my point is simply that whatever you feel needs change in your life, you will not see it without you putting in the effort, the sacrifice, or the discipline to get there. Above all, I cannot separate any of this from faith. Do not live your life in opposition to God’s Word or truth and wonder why your relationship with God is a mess. Do not compromise godly living for cultural acceptance. Living to honor God, develop yourself as a better person, or really anything in between, starts with a step toward change. Ultimately, its up to you.