Here I Am, Lord—Please Work in Me

Inner growth doesn’t come by lengthening our list of “things I have to do to feel accepted by God.” Other people might be impressed, but if we’re operating in our own energy, all our efforts will amount to nothing. On the other hand, nothing will change in our lives by passively waiting for God to turn us into instant “super-saints.”So what should we do? Before change can occur we must ask God for His help. He wants to build in us a hunger to please Him, a willingness to hear what He is saying, and an eagerness to obey what He shows us.What did I need to do when God convicted me of my grumbling and complaining spirit about our ugly wallpaper and furniture? Once I decided it was time to let God change me, He impressed me with three practical steps: they involved my mind, my mouth, and my use of time.

1. My mind. If I found myself daydreaming about sofas, draperies, and beautiful rooms, I needed to practice Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Focusing my mind on Scripture verses about contentment and acknowledging God’s provision of a roof over our heads and clothes to wear helped. So did rearranging what furniture we had. My ability to push and shove heavy pieces of furniture around the house never ceased to astound Jim. What can I say? When you’re desperate, strength comes from somewhere!

2. My mouth. When I opened my mouth to complain about my kitchen’s outdated Early American coffeepot-print wallpaper, I was to close it—my mouth, that is.What an amazingly simple yet effective strategy! Learning to thank God and Jim for what we did have took me another step in the right direction.

3. My use of time. Knowing that browsing through furniture stores and gazing longingly at expensive decorator magazines only made me more miserable and discontented, I needed to quit cold turkey. After all, my chances of having furniture featured in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous were quite remote. So why keep torturing myself?

Did this three-pronged approach work? Yes—when I applied it, and it still does.

Let's talk: How is God helping you change some area in your life?

This post is an excerpt from my ebook, I'm Too Human to Be Like Jesus. I am sharing a series of three excerpts from this book over the next couple of weeks. Click here to sign up for blog posts so you don't miss a post! Click here for the first excerpt and here for the second excerpt.If you would like purchasing information for I'm Too Human, click here or visit the book's Amazon page.Blessings,Poppy SmithInternational speaker, multi-published author, Bible teacher, and spiritual coachInspiring Women to Thrive! Permission to use this article is granted provided the following credit is fully included.Poppy Smith is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.