Change means different things to different people. For some of us, it’s a painful process we endure with gritted teeth; for others, it’s like a breath of fresh air. Changing something we don’t like about ourselves can be discouraging when we try to do it without help and fail. However, relying on God in this area gives us success and puts change and transformation into perspective.

Just like the metamorphosis a butterfly goes through, change is part of life and growth; anything not changing is stagnating. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to enact any real or lasting change in behavior without first changing the way we think. The world is full of influences that can affect our way of thinking, but not all of them are beneficial. For positive growth, reading and studying the Word of God is the first step. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).

True change starts on the inside and works its way outward; it’s not a one-time event, but a lifetime process. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior begins this process. Regardless of what we’ve done or how guilty we may feel about our mistakes and bad choices, being born again gives us new identities in Jesus. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 18, NIV).

This reconciliation means God has already forgiven, us not only of our past sins, but also the ones we haven’t committed yet. Therefore, we no longer have to let our past define us; it’s like hitting the “reset” button in life to start over again. We’re no longer who the world says we are, or even who we think we are, but who God says we are. “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12, 13, NLT).

Permanent change doesn’t come from our own efforts, but from the Holy Spirit, who comes to live inside us when we get born again. We must never underestimate the powerful influence for good He works in us. His mission is to remind us of the Father’s great love for us, and to give us hope. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NKJV). We never have to wonder if allowing God to enact changes will make a difference in our lives; letting Him take the lead always results in good things happening we could never take credit for.

Jesus went to the cross to free us from our past and allow us to experience permanent change for the better. We can now look at change through the lens of His finished works; we no longer have to dread it as something fearful. Trusting in Him to do the necessary rearranging in our hearts and minds guarantees our success and gives us a fresh outlook on life.

For more on the connection between being born again and being transformed into a new person, click on the link below to find the two-message series, Jesus: The Key to Transformation, in our eStore.