23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.REFLECTIONSWritten by Rebecca SheadHave you ever tried to break a habit? Maybe you’re like me and make resolutions whenever something changes (like, say, moving to a new house) and deciding that this time you really will stick to your plans to keep the house clean and tidy. Or maybe it’s to cut out the junk food, or to stop swearing, or to read your Bible every day. I always start with high hopes, but it’s usually not too long until I realise I’m back in my old ways. The same happens when I try to stop sinning. God graciously shows me my sin, and I try really hard to change, but before too long I find myself falling into the same old habits and sinning again. It sometimes feels pointless even trying; it can be so discouraging.So what a great reminder to read these verses today! Paul prays for the Thessalonians, that God would sanctify them – that means being set apart and made more like Jesus. It’s for every part of their life – spirit, soul and body – and it means being blameless, until Jesus comes back. Sounds great, except isn’t it too hard? Won’t they fail if they try? The good news is that being sanctified doesn’t depend on them – God does it in them. This is such a relief! Yes, God wants us to struggle against sin and try to be blameless, but he doesn’t leave us on our own. He helps us, he is slowly changing us “through and through” – in every part of our life – making us more like Jesus. In verse 24, Paul says that God “is faithful, and he will do it”. We can depend on God because he always keeps his promises. Let’s pray that we’ll respond in faith and obedience as God changes us bit by bit.ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca is part of our Bossley Park Morning Church.