Have you ever been on that road back from a broken dream?  Most of us have. Perhaps it was a relationship that failed. You had such high hopes; it looked as though you had found the one you had hoped...

Are you looking for an easy way to change? I'm not sure I can offer you an easy way to change, but I would like to offer you a chart for change—a simple idea that you may find helpful in getting into gear when it comes to making some changes in your life.

I've found that where discipline is required, I often need some structure to help me put that discipline in place. So, I've designed a Chart for Change to help all of us replace some bad habits with some good ones.

This Chart for Change will first of all help you to define the changes you want to make in your life. Perhaps it's a change in your communications skills-listening better, choosing your words more carefully, working at your non-verbal skills. Maybe it's a change in your attitude that you need to work on. It could be a change in your eating habits, or incorporating exercise into your lifestyle. Lots of us have a desire to pray more and be better Bible students. So, first you’ll want to designate some specific changes you'd like to make.

Then this Chart for Change will help you prioritize those changes. It's a mistake to tackle too much at one time. So I recommend that you work on one or two at a time. Choose the change that is most needed, which will have the most impact in your life.

Once you've chosen which change to tackle first, then you need to set a goal and determine a technique to use to make that change happen. Change takes times and you must get through that uncomfortable transition from a bad habit to a good one. So, you need to set a realistic time goal and come up with a helpful tool that you can use to make the change happen.

For example, if you're trying to improve your eating habits, find a friend who'll work with you; who'll call to see how you're doing; perhaps someone who wants to do the same thing. That kind of accountability will help you get through the transition of change.

Then, most importantly, this Chart for Change will help you to focus on the spiritual component. Recognizing that you can do all things through Christ, not on your own, it is critical that you depend on the power of God's Word and his Holy Spirit to make change happen. So, this Chart I've designed will help you pray more effectively about needed changes as well as recognize your constant need for the power of God to help you change.

If you think this Chart for Change would be helpful to you, you’ll find it available right now on our website—christianworkingwoman.org.

If you would like to read the entire week’s message, click here to view/download the PDF.

Are you looking for an easy way to change? I’m not sure I can offer you an easy way to change, but I would like to offer you a chart for change—a simple idea that you may find helpful in...

I'd like to ask you a question: Why is it you haven't changed those things about yourself which you know need changing? You say, "I've tried, but I just can't do it!"

Good! That's exactly where you need to start. Recognize you can't do it on your own. All of us have stories to tell about trying so hard to change some bad habit; making a New Year's resolution to start a good habit; promising ourselves and God we're going to change. Only to wake up a few days or weeks later and have to confess, it didn't last; it didn't work.

In order to change, we first have to realize we can't do it. Sounds like a contradiction, but it's the truth. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that it's only when we see how weak we are that we can be strong. So often I become discouraged with my inability to change, and I just say, "Lord, I want to change but I can't. I think it's impossible for me, Lord.” And when I finally give up, I think I can see the smile on his face, and hear him say, "I've been waiting for you to realize you'll never make it on your own."

For me this is a continual lesson. My nature and personality is to take charge and do it myself. It never dawns on me that I can't do something, so in my own energy and self-determination, I make valiant efforts and discover I cannot change myself. When I finally give up, then I come back to that verse in Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me.”

Today's humanistic philosophy tells us we can do and be anything we want to. "I can do all things..." - that's what the world system wants you to believe. But it's a lie. You cannot do all things, but you can do all the things that God created you to do—all the good works he ordained for you before you were born. You can do all those things, but only through Christ who gives you the strength. When you realize you can't, and you go to Jesus daily for strength because you know you can't do it, then the miracles start to happen.

Maybe today you need to begin the change process by admitting that you can't. No need pretending with the Lord, anyway; so, tell him what he already knows: You can't change. But ask him to change you through his strength.

And then be willing to put the discipline in place that change requires. If you will do that, you're in for some neat surprises. Maybe the discipline is the hard part for you. Well, I've found that sometimes it's very helpful to impose some disciplines in my life that will help me change, and I'd like to offer you a Chart for Change which I've designed.

I’d like to ask you a question: Why is it you haven’t changed those things about yourself which you know need changing? You say, “I’ve tried, but I just can’t do it!” Good! That’s exactly where you need to start....

In order to get to heaven, you have to change. That’s what Jesus said in Matthew 18:3: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Change requires admitting you’re...

In order to get to heaven, you have to change. That's what Jesus said in Matthew 18:3: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Change requires admitting you're wrong, and many people just refuse to humble themselves and say, "I need to change.” It's that old serpent pride which gets into our minds and hearts, and we rebel against any change because we refuse to admit we need to change.

In one of my business seminars a manager told me that one of her employees had a very abrupt tone of voice which sounded rude to customers. When she confronted her with the need to change her tone of voice, her employee was very defensive. She said, "My mother's been telling me that all my life, but I'm not going to change the way I talk. That's the way I am, and you're asking me to be someone phony.” So, she refused to take either her mother's or her manager's advice; she chose to be the way she is rather than admit she needed to change.

Now, don't we all have to admit we've done something similar. You see, changing is humbling. Anyone who is working at changing themselves is admitting they have room for improvement, and that takes humility. In that next verse, Matthew 18:4, Jesus goes on to say, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

This is one key reason people don't change. When Jesus told those people they had to change and become like children—humble themselves—not too many of them were willing to do that. Most people reject Jesus because they're not willing to admit they have a need to change.

How about in your life? Is some stupid pride keeping you from saying, "You know, that's an area where I really need to change. By God's grace, I'm going to change for the better"? If pride is the problem, will you today ask God to forgive you and give you a heart that's willing to change?

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we read that we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ with ever increasing glory. Transformation is change. It's exciting to think that we can be changed into the likeness of Jesus; I don't want to miss that transformation, how about you? But remember, in order to become more and more like Jesus, we have to change.

One of my favorite characteristics of God is that he never changes. Isn’t it wonderful to know he’ll be the same way he’s always been? Don’t you look forward to that day when we’ll be like Jesus and have no...

One of my favorite characteristics of God is that he never changes. Isn't it wonderful to know he'll be the same way he's always been? Don't you look forward to that day when we'll be like Jesus and have no need to change? Well, that will be something, but until then, change is something we need to do.

One of the main reasons we never change those bad habits or put those good new ones in our lives is that we forget. When you start to change anything about yourself, you need reminders around you because during the transition period, you won't remember. So, you need memory joggers. I call them gimmicks. Gimmicks to help you remember to change.

For instance, in my business training I encouraged people to put a mirror on their desk at work near their telephone, where they would have to look at themselves frequently. How you look is how you sound, so that mirror becomes a dramatic reminder that you need to smile more when you're talking on the phone, so you'll sound better. That mirror is a gimmick. Helps you remember.

Now, think about what you want to change about yourself. If you will come up with a gimmick to help you remember, and put that gimmick into your everyday life, you'll be surprised how it helps you change. Maybe it's something as simple as a sign you put in front of you. Maybe you ask other people to remind you. Perhaps you establish a little ritual of reading something at the beginning of each day which reminds you to change.

A man once told me that he wrote a message on his bathroom mirror each night using an erasable magic marker. That message is intended to remind him each morning to start his day in a positive mode. Well, that's a great gimmick. You and I could write a verse of scripture or something encouraging to remind us that we're working on making a good change happen in our lives.

Satan loves to work at making us remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember. Help your memory along, make it easier to change by devising some gimmicks that work for you. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ...” You can change through Jesus if you'll work at it.

They tell us it takes 21 days to break an old habit, and 65 days to establish a new one! Wow, change comes hard and slow for us, doesn't it?

Think about it: What are the things in yourself which you keep intending or trying to change, but it just hasn't happened yet? You're going to be more organized; you're going to eat better; you're going to start exercising regularly; you're going to read your Bible and pray more. Lots of us have many good intentions about making changes in our lives, but too often those intentions are never realized. Why?

Well, for one thing, change is very uncomfortable. We have dug ourselves some little ruts in which we operate. Those ruts frequently are bad habits that need to be replaced, but we've been there so long that we're comfortable there. As soon as you start to change anything, you go into a transition period which is anything but comfortable.

But think about it: We can never improve without changing, so unless you're willing to stagnate where you are, you must learn how to incorporate change into your life in little and big ways. And there are many skills and disciplines and good habits that we can only learn by teaching ourselves to change.

For example, if you wanted to become a better listener, you would have to change some of your bad listening habits and replace them with good ones. Maybe you tend to interrupt others often. To change that bad habit, you would have to consciously work at not interrupting. It wouldn't happen overnight, but you certainly could become a better listener if you were willing to change.

Remember, when we decide to change a bad habit, at first it's very uncomfortable, and our natural tendency is to go back into our old ruts. I want to encourage you not to let the uncomfortableness of change keep you from changing. Live through the uncomfortable feelings, but don't give up.

Paul said, "I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Not by yourself, but through Christ you can change, if you're prepared to live through the transition period, get used to the new territory, and not allow those uncomfortable feelings to keep you from changing.