Topic: If You Want to Change, Then Face the Truth [RICK WARREN Devotional 1 July 2021]
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If You Want to Change, Then Face the Truth
“You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him.”
Ephesians 4:21 (NLT)
The secret to personal change is not willpower. The secret is to know and face the truth. So, if you want to change, you must know and face the truth about yourself and your nature.
You need to face the truth about your weaknesses, your relationships, your successes, your failures, your past, and your future.
Nothing changes until you know and face the truth. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ.
Why is it necessary to learn the truth before anything can change in your life? Here’s why: Behind every self-defeating habit in your life is a lie that you believe.
If you’re in debt, it might be because you believed some lies like “I can spend and get away with it” or “I can always pay it back.” You might have overestimated how much you were going to make, or you believed the lie that you needed a much bigger house.
But do you? Are you sure it’s the truth? Can you prove it’s the truth? Are you absolutely certain that what you’ve believed about your finances is true?
What about your relationships? What about the things you say to yourself about yourself? Is the way you think about your past true? Or is the truth what God says about it?
The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. The truth sets you free. The apostle Paul says, “You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him” (Ephesians 4:21 NLT).
Who is the truth? It’s Jesus. And because Jesus is the truth, he will always tell you the truth. His Word is the truth. The Bible is his Word, and that means the Bible is truth. (You can read more about that in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.)
What you hear on television or read in books won’t always help you—because it’s not always the truth. In fact, if you consistently listen to what voices around you are saying, you’ll find your life built on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, and half-truths. And you will never change.
But what God tells you is always the truth. God’s Word shows you how to get back to the life you were created to live, and then it shows you how to stay on God’s path. This is why it is so important for you to have a daily quiet time in the Word of God. Nothing will change until you get the truth into your heart.
Choose today to face and respond to the truth. Then you’ll begin to see positive change in your life.
- Where, other than God’s Word, have you looked for the truth about your life? How has that failed you?
- When did God’s Word help you understand a truth about yourself?
- What do you need to change about your schedule and priorities so that you can spend time every day reading God’s Word?
If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer?
Your sins separate you from God. And it is only God’s grace that can get you back into right relationship with him.
The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
If you’re ready to make peace with your Creator, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. I’ve looked for the truth about my life in many places, but now I know the truth is only found in you. You have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today, I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I want to live the way you created me to live and use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”