As the month of February comes to end, chances are good you have settled into a rhythm. New habits you have put into place are producing results and helping you live out your One Word. Yet, there are the those annoying patterns which continue to plague you. They cause you to wonder if lasting change will ever take place. Some times the resistance is so overwhelming you consider giving up and waving the white flag in surrender.

Weak legs that feel like Jell-O make you second guess if getting in shape is really worth the pain. The urges to grab a cigarette, the fridge handle or the television remote seem to be getting stronger. After the workday you just went through, putting someones needs before your own is the last thing you want to do. When the alarm clock goes off an hour earlier than usual, the natural reaction is to hit the snooze button rather than start off the day spending time with God.

All of us at some point in our lives have experienced the truth found in Hebrews 12:10-12:

10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Hitting a wall is inevitable during this journey towards inner change. Discipline comes when you manage to climb over the wall and continue along the path towards growth. Change comes only through sacrifice. Staying focused on the end result will help you struggle in the right direction. If you focus long enough, things are bound to change. Behaviors, which at one time hurt and felt awkward, become normal and natural responses.

This movement towards growth is fueled by the knowledge that something more valuable lays on the other side of the pain. Re-read the verse in Hebrews again. What does the author promise for those who endure? The byproduct of our faithfulness is a harvest of righteousness and peace. Let this promise of scripture sink in for a moment. The author says the result of your training will not be a little change, but rather something which will yield a huge return in your character. A type of transformation where people cannot help but take notice.

Wed love to hear your response to the following question: Have you hit a wall yet when it comes to living out your One Word? How did you respond to the wall? What enabled you to continue along the path towards growth?