When You Want to Change, Get Support By Rick Warren
“Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him.”Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (GNT)
How serious are you about breaking free from the temptations in your life?
Because if you are, let me be very blunt with you: You will never do it on your own and without support. You won’t succeed in changing by yourself.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for change.
In fact, once you understand that you can’t change on your own, you’ll be free to see how God is working to transform your life by using other people to help you change.
The truth is, God wired us to need each other in order to grow. We need other people to help us break free of hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
You need accountability in your life. The very thing that you want least is the very thing you need most. You need a friend who checks up on you, and you need a group who supports you.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him” (GNT). This is true for falling into temptation too.
You need somebody in your life to help you with the habits you want to change. You’re not going to change them on your own.
Everybody is tempted. It’s a myth to believe that one day you’ll get to a point in your spiritual life where you’re not tempted anymore. But the truth is, the more mature you become, the more Satan is going to put you on his “most wanted” list.
The Bible says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too. By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 NCV).
What’s the law of Christ? Love your neighbor as yourself. How can we love our neighbors as ourselves? We do it by helping each other through temptation. We do it by working together to stay consistent in areas we want to change. And we do it by helping each other break bad habits and start good ones.
God created us to need each other. The moment you enlist someone else to help you, the pressure to give in starts dissipating and the temptation starts weakening. That’s the best way you can love your neighbor—and your neighbor can love you.
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In God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions, Pastor Rick Warren takes you to the Bible to find practical, life-changing guidance for some of life’s biggest struggles.
This book will help you:
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- Find peace and confidence in times of crisis
- Rebound from failure and move forward with purpose
- Overcome loneliness and build meaningful relationships
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Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California with campuses in major cities around the world. He is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 90 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. You can listen to his daily radio broadcast at PastorRick.com.
