On Faith: Donald Lamson talks about personal change

Everyone wants to change something. Some want to change their career. Some want to change their appearance, or the way they feel. But how? That is what we ask.

Well in that very question resides the kernel of change. First, “how” will never give you enough power to get the job done. If an endeavor solely focused on the “how,” it will surely fail. So, what? Replace “how” with “why.”

Listen, why will always take care of how. Put why first.

Rather than being quickly bogged down by the details of how you are going to accomplish your goal, think of why you are going to accomplish it and the leverage you need to accomplish your goal will spring eternal.

“When desire cometh, it is the tree if life.” (Proverbs 13:12) Desire the why, not details nor the how.

So put desire over details and success is then tangible rather than some ethereal, improbable event. Claim the victory!

As an example, think of the time or times you have locked your keys in your car. Did you get in? How? Or, better yet, why? What got you to accomplish your goal? Was it a class you had taken to acquire that knowledge? Or was it the fact that your kids where inside? Or you were late for work?

The kernel of success we are highlighting... If you have a strong enough why, the how will figure itself out. In any endeavor, try it, it’s why not how that matters.

Lastly, looking at the ministry of John the Baptist, we see another kernel of success.

Start where you are and use what you got. When God spoke to him, John immediately took action. He went from eating locusts and honey in the morning to preaching at lunchtime ... where? In the wilderness! For us today, the translation is: Motion creates emotion. Try it. Success involves twisting two knobs: 1) Twist the knob on your TV; 2) Twist your door knob, get out, press the flesh, look into the eyes of all the precious people around you. Amazing things will happen. Mostly, in an instant, our focus goes away from ourself onto others.

This is so Jesus! Our Lord and Savior taught us to die to self. Wow, that’s intense.

Try twisting the two knobs. Try focusing on the why not how. Start where you are and use what you got. Praise the Lord. Precious people you are. Thanks.

Lamson is chaplain at Lake View Care Center in Bigfork.