Do You Have the Spirit to Change?

Over and over we hear it said, “this will change your life” and people flock to it in mass. What’s the obsession? Why do we want to change, yet never seem to be able to do it? How do you change yourself?

The other day I heard a quote attributed to the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that truly encapsulates the idea of “humanity” – “We are not humans having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Though my worldview would greatly differ from his, we are in agreement on this singular point;

Human beings are spiritual beings.

This is how we are distinctly varied from the animal population. We are made in the image of God. Though not divine, we share similar traits of our Creator, one being that we are triune beings of which are body, soul and spirit. Our body is the physical expression of our existence in the earthly realm, our soul is the personality, will, thoughts, and emotions of our internal existence, and our spirit is that part which is connected to the eternal realm. Each part contributes to the whole human experience.

Unfortunately, we live in a corrupted world far from its original grandeur and glory.

From the biblical account we see man and woman as the highest and most noble similitude of the divine godhead; though a shadow only of the divine, yet still a brilliant image of his glory. Given dominion of the earth, mankind is entrusted with the care, discovery, and utilization of all of creation.

Of all the gifts imparted upon them, man and woman are given the ability to reason and to choose. They are given the ability to discern and to decide. In a short time, they decide to abandon the instructions of the creator and heed the errant counsel of the evil one. From that time until now, mankind has sought to be better, rise higher, and achieve greater, while simultaneously spiraling downwards.

Techniques, systems, and strategies have continuously been developed. Volumes of books, articles, and songs have been written. Speeches, courses, and lectures have been given and still “change” eludes the seeker. That is not to say that some form of change has not occurred, but the true lasting change rarely seems to be accomplished.

So, let’s consider three levels of change and how they are accomplished. This is in no way to be construed as in all-encompassing or scientific assessment of the subject matter. It is the observation and viewpoint of a man that has witnessed these levels of change in multiple cultures and economic structures.

The first level of change is what often has been referred to as behavior modification. it is actually true that someone can change their life by changing their behavior…to an extent. The first approach in this category of change is avoidance. “If I don’t walk down that aisle, I won’t buy the ice cream.”

But one day, we forget and walk down the aisle and our favorite brand is BOGO. So instead of eating half a gallon we eat two! The next approach to change in the category of behavior modification is moderation.

Though we know the thing we desire is not good for us we decide to make a compromise and live in moderation. With this approach our weakness is manageable. It doesn’t control us completely. We keep it in check but with some allowances.

Finally, in modifying our behavior we take a more committed approach called discipline. By creating incrementally developed new habits, and accountability mechanisms or partnerships, we eventually eliminate or add the desired traits or behaviors which become embedded in our character.

The next category of change is accomplished through mind alteration. This category of change is based on research that our thoughts directly affect our behavior.

First, some decide to use stimulants, drugs, alcohol, or medications to control or adjust behavior. Some medications can be helpful when managed by a physician, but these stimuli can often lead to dependency and addiction. Instead of having the intended results, it only exacerbates the situation and the individual digresses into a worse state than before.

On the other hand, in this same category we see the power of positive reinforcement. It is indisputable that positive thoughts, positive influences, and positive culture can produce credible change in the life of a person. Consistently filing the mind with positive thoughts, messages, music, and mentors can literally change the trajectory of one’s life and even future generations. As the ancient proverb says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

This brings us to the third and final category. I call it “spiritual transformation.” Here is the question with the former categories of change: How does someone change who does not have the power to change? They are told, “you have to try harder, you have to look inside yourself.

What if they look inside and see nothing but shame and brokenness? What if they have no willpower or compelling reason? This is where people finally discover that true lasting change can only come through spiritual transformation – change that will affect not only your human experience here on earth, but your spiritual existence throughout eternity. How then does spiritual transformation take place? It’s probably not what you think. It only comes through surrender. Surrender your will to God, the Creator of all things. It means you say, like the well- known song says, “Jesus take the wheel,” and finally let go and let God.

Let these words resonate deeply in your spirit, “If any man/woman be in Christ he/she is a new creature (creation). Old things have passed away, behold ALL things are become new.” You absolutely cannot earn it or produce it within yourself. You can only accept it with a humble heart as a gift. Surrender is where truly lasting change comes from.

Stephen Brockell has a broad background in leadership and sales that spans more than 30 years. He founded a non-profit ministry in the Dominican Republic under the auspices of an international mission organization.  His responsibilities involved recruiting and training leaders for the ministry, public speaking, organizing events, acquiring donors, raising funds, purchasing property and overseeing the initial stages of a construction project. He also served on the board of a prestigious international school and presided as president for two and a half years. After serving for 20 years in this capacity, due to unexpected life changes, Stephen returned from living abroad and reembarked in the sales profession that has included working for three major digital marketing corporations. Most recently he has served as an account executive for a unicorn technology company where he finished in the top 1% of the company in 2022 and was awarded the prestigious President’s Club award.

In addition, Stephen is an ordained minister having completed a three-year pastoral theology program. He also studied Spanish for a year in San Jose, Costa Rica and is fluent in the language.

Stephen is most proud of the fact that he is the father of two amazing children and the father-in-law of an exceptional daughter-in-law as well.

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-brockell/

Header Image Credit: Nathan Cowley. Find it here.