Are you willing, friend?

"Dear Déborah, I am completely desperate, and my situation is destroying me. I desperately need to do something about it. Can you help me?"

A woman's very long email touched me, and I replied to her immediately because I'd experienced similar things…I felt I could offer her some advice, by God's grace, that could really help her. 

A little later, I received her sobering reply: "Thank you, that's so kind of you, buuuut..." And she started all over again. She'd just wanted someone to listen to her. Though she'd asked for advice and guidance, sadly she didn't really want to hear or implement it.

friend, we can learn as much as we want; take as many classes on a particular subject as we'd like; and hear valuable advice from the Bible (first and foremost, hopefully!), motivational speakers, and others. But if we don't actually do what we need to do, we'll never see what we want to see!

Let's take a look at an example from the Gospel of John. In Jesus' incredible mercy and wisdom, He gave a life-changing command to the woman who had committed adultery: "...'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.'" (John 8:11, NKJV) 

Jesus had set this woman FREE and told her exactly what she needed to do next! Whether or not she kept this freedom by following His command—that is, by actively doing something to avoid falling back into sin—we don't know. But it's clear that she would've lost her newfound freedom if she had chosen to do nothing. Imagine if she had responded to Jesus by saying, "Thank You for that, but...!" She would've returned to bondage, and nothing would've changed about her life or situation.

friend, Jesus' words apply to all of us: "'Go and sin no more'"! (John 8:11, NKJV)  Perhaps in your life today, this means: "You must change something about your situation if you want to see change happen!" God will honor your choice to obey Him and give you His grace to do it! :-) 

You are a miracle!