1.14.2023 Devotion "Do Something Different"

In today's devotion, titled "Do Something Different," the scripture from Matthew 16:25 is discussed. Jesus teaches that if we hold on too tightly to our lives, we will lose them, but if we give them up for His sake, we will save them. Sometimes, the harder we try to change our lives, the more stubbornly they resist. Instead of trying harder, we should try something different. This doesn't mean giving up, but rather taking a new approach. When faced with a familiar but uncomfortable situation, instead of reacting in the usual way, we should step back, take a breath, pray, and intentionally do something different. We should ask ourselves if there is a stubborn issue in our lives and brainstorm different tactics to respond to it. We should also examine the internal arguments that hold us back from trying something new. We should ask God for help in breaking free from reactive patterns and trust Him enough to try something completely different. Good morning, and today's devotion is titled, Do Something Different. Today's devotion scripture comes from Matthew 16, verse 25, If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. In this Matthew passage, Jesus expresses a profound truth as a paradox, a seemingly self-contradictory statement that proves true upon further examination. Jesus is saying that if we hold too tightly to something, we will lose it. We are all too familiar with the paradox that sometimes the harder we try to change our lives, the more stubbornly they refuse to change. In such situations, instead of trying harder, we must be willing to try something different. This doesn't mean giving up, it means trying a new tactic, maybe even doing the opposite of what we've been doing. Try that the next time you encounter a familiar but uncomfortable situation. Instead of reacting the usual way, lashing out, clamming up, or pretending to be alright with something you're not, try it, take a mental step back, take a deeper breath, say a little prayer, then deliberately do something different, walk away, or speak up, or say no. Try it just this once for a change. Ask yourself this question one, is there a stubborn issue in your life that seems to resist every effort at changing? Brainstorm some different tactics for responding to this issue. And then the second question, what internal arguments hold you back from trying something new in response to a painful stimulus? Asking God, Lord I need you so much in this process of breaking free from reactive patterns in my life. Help me loosen my grips on old habits and trust you enough to try something completely different. Help me better understand why I do what I do, and deliver me from my reactive lifestyle.