From Comparison to Confidence: Small Steps Toward Lasting ChangeSample

As this plan draws to a close, you might think, "Scott, this all sounds good, but I've tried to change before and failed. What makes this time different?"

Here's what I believe: the difference isn't in your ability to change - it's in your willingness to let God change you through small, consistent steps of obedience. You don't have to overcome insecurity in one dramatic moment. You need to take the next small step of faith, trusting that God will multiply your faithful repetition into a harvest of confidence in His love.

If you've been following this plan all week, you've learned that overcoming insecurity requires repeating three key practices:

1. Repeating the truth about God's character - He knows everything, is always present, and is all-powerful.
2. Repeating your identity as His beloved child - replacing toxic soundtracks with truth.
3. Repeating faithful habits - focusing on obedience rather than outcomes.

But here's the challenge - willpower doesn’t last forever. After all, Quitters Day is the second Friday of January each year. What’s Quitters Day, you ask? It is the day when most New Year's resolutions are broken. Most of us think about intensity rather than consistency regarding change. We list everything we will do differently and get motivated initially, but that motivation eventually runs out.

As Pastor Craig Groeschel says, you need to focus on consistency rather than intensity to sustain change. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we do not give up." When making changes, it's not about how hard you can go or how perfectly you can keep all those habits. Change comes through consistency - day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Remember the statements I shared on Day 1? If you want to reap a harvest, you need to repeat a process. We overestimate what we can do in one year but underestimate what God can do in five years.

That overestimation focuses on intensity. That underestimation overlooks the power of consistency. Here are three practical steps to help you maintain consistency:

1. Start smaller than you think you should. Instead of promising to read the Bible for an hour daily, start with five minutes. Rather than pledging never to feel insecure again, write down one truth about God's love each morning.
2. Create accountability. Share this devotional and your plans with a trusted friend or join a small group at church. When those old insecure soundtracks start playing, you need people to remind you of God's truth.
3. Celebrate small wins. Did you choose gratitude instead of comparison today? Did you recognize a negative soundtrack rather than merely being a victim? Those victories are worth celebrating! Remember Zechariah's words - God rejoices to see the work begin.

It’s been an honor to share my story and what God has taught me to encourage you through this plan. Click here for complimentary access to my free guide, You Are Who God Says You Are. This resource includes the three simple tools I've found that help me when I begin to slip back into insecurity. These tools remind me of what God says about me, and I would love to share them with you today.