Behavior Self-Modification (Getting all geeky on you)

I wanted the title to sound impressive. It does. Doesn’t it? Being educated in the science of teaching I can pull out all kinds of edu-lingo. I can talk about assessment construction, mastery of benchmarks, integrated interactive learner-centered disciplines, and other blah blah stuff. But it just means,” Can you help students make a change in what they understand and do?”

Well, when I make a change in what I understand and do it is usually triggered by two motivations:

I want to or I have to.

 I’m reading a great book now; “Change Before You Have To” (copyright 2012) by Rob Kettelring. God seems to bring me regularly back to the concept of being ready to make changes in my life. It all started with “Who Moved My Cheese” (copyright 1998) by Kenneth Blanchard. Both authors have the same bottom line:

You can make it an easy change in your life or you can make it a hard change in your life.

You can slide happily into a change or you can go kicking and screaming.

But make no mistake,

You will face the necessity to change.

Most of the time I have to admit I’m a kicking and screaming kind of changer. So I am not overjoyed with either of these books that God has seemingly put in my path. But I’ve also learned that to be more and more like Christ, as His follower, I will have to make continual changes in my life. Not exactly a warm fuzzy thought to me.

Rob Ketterling, the author, urges me, the reader, to evaluate my life’s direction and ask myself what is limiting my life with and in Christ.

1.       Something at home?

2.       Something at work?

3.       Something in my character?

4.       Something sinful I don’t want to give up?

5.       Something that is a non-productive habit?

6.       Something I stubbornly hang on to that I know I don’t need?

7.       Something that can’t make me more like Christ?

8.       Something I’m too lazy to deal with?

He says something I know but don’t want to hear:

God loves me so much that he won’t let me stay in the unchanged mess. He wants me to experience an unlimiting abundant life. He will gently convict me in these areas and bring these areas around again and again until I deal with them.

And I can choose to let Him change and adjust me.

Or I can dig my heels in with my pride and ego; refuse to make the changes,

 and prepare to be forced to change. 

Do not regard lightly the training and education of the Lord or give up when He convicts and wants to change you. Because God loves you He will punish and discipline you His accepted child if you will not be teachable.  Hebrews 12: 5-6

Lord, please help me choose to change so I can continue to be more like You.

Make me Your teachable student.

Help me make behavior self-modifications so that I am changed into your image.