RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲

"𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨."
- Mandy Hale

Sinubukan mo na bang magbago pero nag-fail ka sa bandang huli? Hindi kita masisisi, kasi sa totoo lang, hindi talaga madali ang magbago. Changing your life is not an easy job na pwede mong magawa ng ilang days or ilang weeks, or ilang years lang. Minsan nga akala mo nagbago ka na pero bigla ka pero hindi pa pala talaga. Change is actually a lifetime process na mahirap ilaban kapag hindi ganun katindi yung determinasyon mo na panindigan ito.

So bumalik na tayo sa ating katanungan, bakit nga ba nahihirapang magbago ang isang tao? Ano-ano bang mga rason bakit marami namang taong sumubok na magbago pero nabibigo pa rin sila?

Sa dami na rin ng mga nabasa kong christian books, mga inspirational articles at syempre yung greatest book ever which is the Bible, may mga ilan akong na-discover na dahilan kung bakit nahihirapang magbago ang isang tao at ito nga yung mga yun:

1. Change is hard because you try to change with your own ways

This is the reality, hindi mo kayang magbago sa sarili mong paraan. Even the people around you, they can never change you. Impluwensyahan pwede, pero yung baguhin ka, hindi yun mangyayari. Why? Because our ways are impermanent, breakable, and unreliable. Alam naman natin na walang perpektong nilalang sa mundo. Sabi nga sa Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Lahat tayo ay nagkaroon ng kasalanan kaya kahit gaano pa tayo kagaling dito sa mundo, kahit gaano pa karami yung mga alam nating ideya na kayang-kaya nating i-explain sa iba, pagdating sa mga paraan natin tungkol sa pagbabago, hindi-hindi talaga yun magiging effective. Real transformation of life is a very serious matter. Ang pagnanais na magkaroon ng New Life ay isang malalim na usapin na dapat talaga nating seryosohin at 'wag laruin. 'Wag nating subukang magbago sa paraan lang natin, dahil hinding-hindi talaga natin makukuha yung New Life na regalo ng Diyos sa'tin. God is the only one who can truly change us. At ang pagbabago na yun ay nagsisimula once na nagkaroon tayo ng faith sa Kanya.

2. Change is hard because you doubt to change

Never kang magbabago kung lagi kang may pagdududa sa puso mo. Believing is a very important part of changing. Like Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." Sayo verse na yan, kumbaga tayo yung sumisimbolo sa bundok na tinukoy ni Jesus, at yung dagat naman is yung New Life na ninanais natin. If we have the spirit of believing, we can really achieve the change that we want. But the spirit of doubt never help us to change, actually, unti-unti nitong pinapatay yung pag-asa natin para magbago. Kapag tunamin ang doubt sa puso ng tao, diyan na lumalabas yung kasinungalingan na imposible na talaga siyang magbago. One of the biggest lie of Satan is to tell you that you can't really change. Ang mahirap kung pinaniwalaan mo na yan at pinanindigan. Nagiging pride ang kawalan ng pag-asa na magbago because of a simple doubt. Doubt is the root of unbelief, and unbelief is the opposite of faith. So without faith, changing of life is really impossible.

3. Change is hard because you have many excuses in life

Hanggat may dahilan ka kung bakit hindi ka makapagbagong buhay, hinding-hindi ka talaga magbabago. Isa rin kasing hindrance ang excuses kung bakit marami sa 'tin ang hirap na hirap na magbago. Just like the Parable of the Great Banquet na kinwento ni Jesus sa Luke 14:16-24, "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' The Great Banquet is the symbol of New Life na promise ni Lord sa'tin. Sabi sa story, madami ang ininvite pero hindi pumunta dahil sa mga excuses nila. Remember this, change requires our time. At ang excuses, kinakain niyan yung oras natin para hindi natin naranasan yung plano ni Lord. Minsan, sa mga simple at valid na reasons natin, don madalas nasasayang yung opportunity natin na makuha na sana yung New Life na regalo ng Panginoon. Sometimes, we just need to set aside our cares in life nang sa ganun ay magkaroon din tayo ng panahon para sa Diyos. Because you don't know, baka yun na pala yung pagkakataon mo para maranasan yung New Life na nais Niyang ibigay sayo.

4. Change is hard because you're afraid to change

Gusto mong magbago pero hindi mo masimulan dahil palagi kang napangugngunahan ng takot. Takot saan? Takot sa mga consequences na pwedeng mangyari once na sinubukan mong magbago. Isa sa fear ng tao is yung takot sa rejection. As human being, we always long for acceptance. Walang taong gustong ma-reject. At sa totoo lang, sa pagbabago, meron yung mga taong gusto ka talaga nilang makitang magbago, pero meron din talaga yung mga taong pipigilan kang magbago. Most of them are those people who are close to you like your family, your friends, or even your love ones. Dahil sa takot mong mapalayo sila sayo, you compromise your dream to change. Hirap kang magbago dahil natatakot ka na baka hindi ka nila tanggapin. Another fear here is yung takot natin sa criticism. Takot ka sa sasabihin ng iba kaya hindi ka makapagbagong buhay. You allow other people to control your decision that's why change became difficult to you. At isa pang mas mahirap na takot is yung takot na mag-fail ulit. Yung tipong sinubukan mo ng magbago ng ilang ulit pero nauuwi lang palagi sa wala. Doon ay nagkakaroon ka ng trauma na baka 'pag trinay mo ulit eh mag-fail ka. At doon nga, pinanindigan mo na lang yung idea na hindi mo talaga kaya. Kahit napakarami mong potentials diyan sa loob mo, once na nagpatalo ka sa takot, wala talagang mangyayari sa'yo. Minsan kailangan mo lang tapangan at harapin yung takot mo para makapagsimula ka na magbago.

5. Change is hard because you don't really want to change

Ito yung isang reality eh, hinding-hindi ka magbabago kung ayaw mo talagang magbago. Pwede mong sabihing gusto mo, pero ang totoo, ayaw mo talaga. Bakit? Kasi ayaw mong kumawala sa comfort zone na meron ka. Many people today, they actually losing their dreams to change their situation. Why? Because they became so comfortable of where they are. They don't even trying to move forward. Kung mapapansin mo, may mga tao na sanay na sanay na mga maling nakagawian. At ang mas masakit pa, ang naging pagtingin ng iba sa pagbabagong buhay ay isang malaking pahirap lamang. They don't want to change because they see change as burden. As an obligation. Change is not a rule na kailangan mo lang gawin kasi yun ang tama even ayaw mo naman talagang gawin, yung tipong napipilitan ka lang. Ang pagbabago kasi na hindi bukal sa puso ay hindi talaga pagbabago kundi pakitang tao lamang. Change is a voluntary decision of a willing person. Kung gusto mong magbago, dapat gusto mo talaga. I mean, gustong-gusto mo talaga.

It is true that God loves us no matter who we are. Kahit sino pa tayo, kahit saan pa tayo galing, or kahit gaano man kapangit ang mga nakaraan natin, from the start until the end, the love of God for us is trully unconditional and unchangeable. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But remember this, the main reason of why Jesus came and take the cross not just only because He wants to save us. Kasi kung yun lang, edi sana nung time na tinanggap natin si Jesus as our personal Saviour and Lord is kinuha na Niya sana tayo agad papuntang langit diba, pero hindi. Dahil gusto rin ng Diyos na mabago ang buhay natin. As we continue to live, God want us to experience the New Life. God wants to separate us from any sinful bondages na nandito sa mundo. Ayaw ng Diyos na manatili tayong namumuhay sa kasamaan at sa kasalanan. Hindi plano ng Diyos na manatili tayong talunan sa mga mali-maling bagay na nangyayari dito sa mundo. His plan is to turn our chaotic life into a beautiful life. Buhay na masasabing may purpose at may patutunguhan.

Ngayon, alam mo na ang mga dahilan kung bakit mahirap magbago, let us proceed now to this bottom line question, how to really change? Paano ba talaga tayo magkakaroon ng New Life?

... To be continued ...