"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference."

-Reinhold Niebuhr

​

On last week we began dissecting The Serenity Prayer as a means of trying to understand what it is that serenity means and how serenity can help us to not only accept those things that we cannot change but to accept those things that we don't want to see change. On this week we will explore our ability to change the things that we can, how God's strength can help us to do so, and the role that courage plays in creating change whether for the benefit of ourselves or others.

​

As discussed in part one of Serenity, God promises us serenity, but in His Word, it is not worded as such. If we explore the Word of God, we will find that God continuously promises us "PEACE". In defining the word "serenity", we explored serenity based on the following definitions…

​

Serenity is defined as:

• the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness,

• the absence of mental stress or anxiety,

• the quality of being peaceful and calm.

​

The peace of God brings us calm, freedom from worry and stillness (tranquility). The peace of God alleviates our stress and anxiety. The peace of God also brings us into a place of acceptance in which we are able to rest in the assurance of God concerning those things that are out of our control. And while there are many things that we cannot control or change, there are things that we most definitely can change, if we are willing to do so, but it might require more strength and courage than we think we have or more work than we want to invest. Let's Explore.

​

What Hinders Our Change?     

​

While the hardest part of The Serenity Prayer for some is accepting that there are things that we cannot change, that is not the case for others. There are some individuals who without hesitance, accept that there are things that can't be changed. There are many individuals who glory in those things that they don't have the power to change because it takes the responsibility, weight, priority, and the obligation off of them. There are many of us who will happily hand our worries over to God and let Him figure it out because we are beyond tired of stressing ourselves over things that we don't have the power, knowledge, wisdom, or authority to change, amend, or alter. And God figuring it out is just a figure of speech because we know He does not have to 'figure' anything out because He already knows and has the answer. But when we're frustrated and at our wits ends, that's exactly how we can at times feel, "God, YOU FIGURE IT OUT because I’m THROUGH!" And if we were to be honest, while some of us might easily accept those things that we can't change we struggle with doing what needs to be done to change those things that we can.

​

"God grant me the courage to change the things I can…" While many of us might struggle with change, our reasons are vast and boy don't they vary. Some of us struggle with change because we fear what the outcome will be. Others don't want the burden of having to change. There are some who struggle with change because it takes them out of their comfort zone or uproots them from one place and into a new and different position, during a time that they don't agree with. Change can be inconvenient. It can be chaotic.​

​

Some struggle with change because they don't think that they have the resources, knowledge, education, background, profile, finances, or support to create the change that they need to create. For others it is a matter of lack of confidence, self-esteem, or belief in their own capability. And then there are those who struggle with change because they have too much pride, ego, or are too self-indulgenced to give in or admit that a different approach, a different path, or a change of heart is needed. However, regardless of what it is that hinders our ability to change, what can push us in the right direction and give us the will and ability to do so is courage and our trust in God.

​

"Change takes Courage and Courage Requires Work" -Dr. S. Edwards

​

We will often find that it takes courage to change and not only will it take work to gain the courage that we need, but then it will require work, to use the courage that we have gained to change what we are called to change.

​

On last week, we expounded on King Solomon and his ability to accept the responsibility that had been placed upon him because he had become the successor to his father David's throne, who was both a king and warrior like no other. David was favored by God. And it was because of this favor that afforded Solomon the honor of becoming heir to the throne. Because God had favored David and because David wholeheartedly followed God, God promised him that He would forever establish his throne which started with his son, Solomon.

One of David's desires was to build a house for God, but God did not allow David to carry this desire out himself. 

2 Samuel 7:11-16 (NIV) in part reads:

​

              The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and

              you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I

              will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne

              of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with

              a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from

              him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure

              forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’

​

Although it was David's desire to build a house for God, it was not something that God was requiring of David or had ever required of anyone else for that matter. However, God honored David's sincerity. God would allow this house to be built but not by David himself. Because David had been a warrior and had shed blood, he could not be the one to build the temple for God. God would allow it to be done through David's son and successor, Solomon. David was both pleased and delighted that God would allow this house to be built for Himself through his very own offspring.

​

David was not bitter that God did not allow him to be the one to do it which shows that David wanting to build a house for God was not about him doing something to glory in himself, but it was about him wanting to do something to give glory to God. Not only was David honored by God's response but if we read 1 Chronicles 28, David made all of the preparations for the temple and passed them along to Solomon. Although David did not build the temple, he did everything else besides physically build it in order to make sure that the work would be accomplished. Solomon was but a child and did not have the experience to take on something of this magnitude which his father, David, acknowledged. 1 Chronicles 22:5 reads:

​

             David said, 'My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be

             of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations

             for it.' So David made extensive preparations before his death (NIV).

​

In terms that we would understand in our modern age, David gave Solomon the entire blueprints for the temple along with the land, location money, materials, workers, priests, servants, as well as what was needed to make the utensils that would be used in the temple. In 1 Chronicles 28:19, we read, "All this,”…'I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan" (NIV).  David prepared and organized everything that Solomon would need to carry out the work, and He did it according to God's plans and not his own.

​

David accepted the fact that he was not the one who would build the temple and he had peace with God's decision. He did not allow the fact that his plan was different from God's plan to change his heart toward God. And even in preparing all the things that Solomon would need, David did everything according to how God led him to do it. And although David literally secured everything for Solomon that he would need, David realized that even with Solomon having all the tangibles that he needed, the plan, the blueprints, the materials, and the workers were not enough. David recognized and acknowledged that along with the tangible things, Solomon still needed strength, courage, and God to complete the task at hand.

1 Chronicles 28:20 reads:

​

              David also said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or

             discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for

             the service of the temple of the Lord is finished (NIV).

​

Solomon was being commissioned to do something that had not been done. Solomon was chosen to perform a work for God that no one else had ever performed all because of the love that his father, David had for God and the love that God had for his father, David. Solomon was given an opportunity and assignment like no other. Not only did he have the weight of being successor to someone as mighty and honorable as David, but he stepped into kingship with an assignment attached to it that he could not renege on.

​

Not only did Solomon initially wrestle with the fact that he felt like he was too young to understand and truly know how to rule, which he came to accept and found peace with after taking it to God and God then granting him wisdom, but then there was this temple that he had to build for God so that God's promise to David would be fulfilled and his promise to his father would be fulfilled. 

If you were to read 1 Kings 1, you will find that Solomon had some opposition before he officially took the throne. However, despite his opposition, 2 Chronicles 1:1 reads, "Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great" (NIV).

​

Creating change will most definitely present opposition but God is greater than any opposition that we will have to face. It was not for the sake of poise and poetry that David commanded Solomon to be strong and courageous and do the work. It was not for the sake of formalities or dramatic effect that David told Solomon not to be afraid or discouraged. It was not for the sake of trying to appear holy or boast of his faith that David reminded and encouraged Solomon that God would not leave his side. But David understood the depth of what Solomon was stepping into because David had already been there. David understood what it was like to stand against giants, to be ridiculed, to be afraid, discouraged, disheartened, tired, and distressed. He also knew that the only way to overcome these things was by and through the Lord himself.

​

When we think of God giving us the courage to change the things that we can, imagine the courage it took for David to stand up to a giant like Goliath. Here they were", "AN ARMY" of trained men running from "ONE" giant. The scriptures tell us that whenever the Israelites saw the giant, they ran in fear. The giant understood their fear, and he used it against them.

​

Here it was an army of men although united in battle did not think that they were enough to bring this giant to his demise. Yet along comes a shepherd boy, not trained by man for battle but destined by God. When this "little shepherd boy" went around questioning the nerve of this giant who dare defy God and was trying to figure out why everyone was running afraid, Saul was made aware of this and Saul sent for him and we then read in 1 Samuel 17:32, "David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him” (NIV).

​

Here it was the king, standing amongst his people, a king and people who had already had many battles in which they were victorious, yet here they stood, fearing this "ONE" thing that stood before them. And although Saul initially hesitates and tells David that he is not trained enough to go against Goliath, upon David boldly highlighting his lion and bear victories, and proclaiming how God always won his battles, Saul agrees to allow David to go against the giant. There is so much revelation in that which we won't fully expound on now, but here it was Saul sending someone who he did not think had enough experience to save both him and all of Israel.

​

Let's pause right there. Let's reflect on that part that comes right before David highlights his lions and bears experience. Let's reflect on Saul telling David that he was not skilled enough to face Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:33 states, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth" (NIV). And how many times have you been there? Applying for a position, pursuing a goal, taking an academic course, signing up for a degree program, going for a promotion, trying to join an organization, or taking on a role in which someone told you that you were not good enough, skilled enough, qualified enough, or did not have enough experience to have, achieve, or go after what you wanted? And because of what they spoke over you and because of what they told you that you couldn't do, you turned away from what could have been your opportunity to create change all because you allowed someone to tell you that you couldn’t.

​

You did not have the courage to go forth after they told you it was impossible. You gave up on that goal, that dream, that thing that you knew you could do, all because someone thought otherwise. And instead of listening to your heart and your ambition and instead of seeking God and asking Him to give you the strength, courage, and faith to continue toward the pursuit shall it be His will, you relented. Suppose David relented? Suppose David listened to his sibling's false perspective of why he was there. Suppose he allowed his brother, Eliab's opinion of who he was to discourage him? Suppose he listened to Saul when Saul told him that he was too young and that Goliath was more skilled? Suppose he turned away from the battle that God placed before him all because of the things that stood alongside him trying to discourage him from stepping on his front line to victory.

​

David stepped boldly into his purpose and if you dare for a minute think that it was out of his own strength, then go back and read the entire account. If we examine 1 Samuel 17:37, David exclaims, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” And then we read, "Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you” (NIV). It was the God in David that allowed him to stand up to Goliath. David could be strong, bold, and courageous, because his trust rested in a High and Mighty God. We must be courageous enough to talk back to the very things that are talking to us, telling us what we can't do, what we can't become, what we can't achieve, and what we can't have nor conquer, and proclaim what God can do! Proclaim WHAT WE CAN HAVE just like David did!

​

No one requested or convinced David to fight Goliath. David did not wait for someone else to go up against Goliath and then step in after they were unsuccessful. David did not wait around to try to get a glimpse of what Goliath's skills were. David did not need to see what Goliath was working with or get a backstory on Goliath's warrior training because David knew who he himself was working with. David was working with God. And David's backstory was rooted in his experiences as a shepherd boy in which he slayed lions and bears, GOD GIVING HIM VICTORY AFTER VICTORY AFTER VICTORY. David did not have to worry about what Goliath would do to him because he was confident in what God would do to Goliath. Are we just as confident in what God will do to our enemies? Are we just as confident that God will handle all those things that oppose us?

​

David was brave enough to stand up and change what no one else was willing to try to change because God gave him the strength and courage to do so. Much like Samuel, God gave David relentless victory over the Philistines. Because he had the courage to face one Philistine, God gave him a consistent victory over many Philistines. The Philistines were to be feared, but David "FEARED NOT!". He was bold and courageous because he placed his trust in God and God alone, and God fought for him, delivered him, and gave him triumph over all his enemies.

​

The Courage of Consistent Change Requiring Consistent Courage

​

King Solomon, son of David, started off exercising this same courage. Solomon indeed completed the task that his father left him concerning building the temple for God. 1 Kings 6:38 reads, "In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. [Solomon] had spent seven years building it" (NIV). Solomon also made sure that all the furnishings for the temple were completed. 1 Kings 7:13-14, 40, reads:

​

            King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and

            whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding

            and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned

            to him…So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord (NIV).

​

If we read further:​                                 "Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple" (v. 48).

​​

                                                             "When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,

                                                              he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and

                                                             the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple" (v. 51).

Solomon went to great extents to build this temple for God. He left nothing out concerning the physical building of the temple. He took pride in every detail. He built it exactly as David had commanded him based on how God had commanded David. What a work indeed. Solomon was courageous. He was creating change. He was doing what had never been done.

Israel had never had a successor to the throne. Because King Saul (Israel's chosen king) disobeyed, God ripped the throne from both him and his descendants therefore, David (God's chosen king) was the first to have established a dynasty.

​

We see Solomon being a change agent. He is the first to inherit a throne. He is the first to build a house for God. He is a wise judge and ruler. He is successful in all that he does. He has both power and influence. And most importantly, people respect him because he is of noble character.

Solomon showed his love for God by following the instructions of David, but he offered sacrifices and burnt incense on high places.

​

And just like that, if we continue to explore the life of Solomon, we find that while he was courageous enough to firmly establish his throne, complete the building of the temple, fully furnish the temple, make decisions and provide advice to others, judge and rule with wisdom like no other, he did not exercise the courage and will to follow those oh so significant details that we find in 1 Kings 6:12-13 and 1 Kings 9:4-7 which read as follows:

​

             As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and

             obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and

             will not abandon my people Israel (1 Kings 6:12-13, NIV).

​​

             As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do

             all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised                 David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 'But if you or your                      descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to

            serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple

            I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples

            (1 Kings 9:4-7, NIV).

​

Solomon started off with a love for God, walking in the instructions of David, but his love connections would become his downfall. In 1 Kings 11 1-2, 4 the following occurs:

​

              King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,

              Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites,

              'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless,                              Solomon held fast to them in love…As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his

              heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been (NIV).

​

Solomon failed to use this same courageousness to resist the temptation of becoming wed to these foreign women whom he loved. These same women from other nations that God had already forbid the Israelites from intermarrying with because they worshipped other gods which would cause the one that married them to do the same. And Solomon did just that.

​

Solomon failed to be courageous enough to stand up for the God that he believed in, who not only allowed him to inherit a throne, but who gave him wisdom, wealth, and splendor like no other. God gave Solomon favor with 'man'. People from different nations marveled at Solomon, the knowledge that he had, and the work that he had done.

​

And yet he was not courageous enough to remain true to the God that had done all of these amazing things for him and through him. Solomon could have at any point changed what would become his downfall if he had simply detached from these women who would lead him astray. He could have changed his downfall had he simply chose to remain faithful to his own God and not bow to theirs. But he chose the pleasures of what he deemed love over obedience to God.

​

This courage that he once had through the hands of God was disturbed when he chose to worship and seek after foreign gods. Gods that were not his own. However, though this caused him to lose the kingdom because God most definitely tore it away from him due to his disobedience, because of God's promise to David, God did not tear the kingdom from Solomon but after Solomon's reign, he then tore the kingdom from the hands of Solomon's son instead.

​

God stayed true to His words to David. And because of God's promise to David and for the sake of Jerusalem, although God would tear the kingdom from the house of David, he would allow them to keep one tribe, that being the tribe of Judah.  

​

If we think of not just courage, but the courage to do what's right, it can be extremely hard when our focus rests on appeasing our flesh and the flesh of others, more than pleasing God. Solomon was not perfect as none of us are, but as long as he stayed faithful and obedient to God, not only was God leading, guiding, and steering him in the right direction, but he was willingly following. However, once he began to indulge in things that were contrary to the ways and commands of God, his flesh became his guide.

Solomon was brave, wise, and courageous enough to rule over Israel and be of assistance to other nations, but lost all of the kingdom (except one tribe) because the one known for making wise decisions made a bad choice in deciding who he would marry, whose god he would serve and worship, and if he would obey God at all costs. Although in a different context, Solomon could have perhaps learned from King Saul. King Saul had to learn the tough lesson that obedience was better than sacrifice. And Solomon could have perhaps benefited from realizing that obedience to God is better than sacrifice to and worship of false gods.

​

What About Us?              

​

Much like Solomon, how many times have we found ourselves faced with having to make a decision? Having to change something, but we didn't have the strength to do so? Courage is not just about being brave, but courage is also about our willingness to accept that although what we are facing may be unfavorable, painful, or unsure, we choose to face it anyway.

​

If we look at the definition of courage, it is defined as:

• bravery,

• the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear,

• the mental or moral strength to resist opposition,

• the willingness to deal with something that is unpleasant,

• the choice to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation,

• the ability to do something that you know is difficult,

• firmness of mind and will.

​

Courage can also be our acceptance and willingness to deal with, confront, partake in, or act upon something that may not be what we want or desire. Or it can even involve our ability to go forth in something that we know can bring or present us with hurt, challenges, loss, or denial. Courage can be our willingness to accept and admit when we are wrong and doing what is needed to make it right or even knowing that we are right and doing what is needed to forgive those that have wronged us. We might at times find that courage and acceptance can both work together an in opposition of one another.

If we reflect on courage, it takes courage to:​

​

• leave a toxic relationship of any kind

• to leave a job that is secure and safe, to instead venture into that God endeavor that you have not been able to shake off

• to apologize even if you're right

• restart a degree program upon discovering that you have no passion or desire to continue the major that you're currently pursuing

• go back to school after years on top of years of not being in an academic setting

• start the business that you've always dreamed of

• hold on to or fix that relationship that seems like more work than it's worth

• downsize so that you're not stressing over finances regardless of what people will think or say about you

• move on and stop waiting for that person that will never see how valuable you are to love you in the way that you deserve to be loved

• step out on faith and find the home that you want

• admit your addiction and then do something about it

• stand up for what's right even if you're standing alone

• tell the truth to save the person that everyone else is falsely slandering

• exercise faith over fear

• trust God during the storm

• have faith in what you can't see

• believe in what you can't control

• let God handle the situation His way in His timing

• accept God's will over our own

• forgive those who hurt us

​

This list can go on and on and on because anything that challenges us, opposes us, poses fear, danger, uncertainty, hurt, pain, agony, despair, inconvenience, or creates mental or emotional stress, physical pain, or causes us to be spiritually vexed will take courage to acknowledge, confront, and overcome. WE NEED GOD!

​

WE NEED GOD!             

​

WE NEED GOD...It might seem like a repetitive tagline because these three words often make their way into our blog posts, but it's not a tagline! It is an unescapable truth. If we examine the list above of some of the examples of the things that it takes courage to do and even if we were to pull out a pen and paper and start to create our own lists based on where we've been, where we are, or where we want to go, one of the things that makes these things challenging is that we often don't know WHAT TO DO! Do I leave the relationship or stay in it? Do I leave my job or stay on it? Do I change from this degree program to another? All of these things being things that we can change, but is it God's will that we do so? And this is why we must reflect back on the words in The Serenity Prayer:

​

"GOD GRANT ME the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can... "

​

GOD GRANT ME! Facing these things quite often makes us feel weak, depleted, and out of any strength, will, determination, or desire to deal with facing them, which is why WE NEED GOD to lead us, guide us, direct us, strengthen us, and then revive us, when we have exhausted all of our time, energy, and patience either fighting for or against these things that we can change but don't know how.

​

It is one thing to accept that there are things that we cannot change. It is one thing to find the courage to change the things that we can. But then after we accept what we can't change and gain the courage to change what we can, how do we approach bringing this change about?

​

We see that David depended on God to give him all the directions as to how to build the temple. David passed these instructions on to Solomon who did all that David had instructed of him and used all the things that David had prepared for him, and he also sought God for himself.

​

At times God might speak to you directly and tell you exactly what to do as he did David and at times God might send someone to guide you, give you advice, or help you to accomplish what you are trying to change or accomplish. There is no limit to how God can and will help us to change what we can. However, something that we might often overlook or don't realize is that we don't just need courage to change what we can, but we need the courage to be content with the change that we have made once it's all said and done. When we make a decision to change something or someone in our lives, or when we change something or anything about ourselves, once we do it, we might find ourselves wrestling with the outcome or waiting to see what the outcome will be.

​

When God gives us the courage to change what we can, we must trust that regardless of what He told us to do, the change that He told us to make, or the direction or path that He told us to take, IT'S ALL GOOD! The outcome may not be lollipops and a field of roses. The outcome might be chaotic and feel dysfunctional, BUT IF WE DID WHAT GOD TOLD US TO DO, the outcome is not our problem, IT'S GOD'S!

​

If we reflect on Saul and the prophet Samuel, God had Samuel to anoint Saul as king, knowing that Saul would disobey and fall astray. God already knew what a mess Saul would be as king. He even warned the people as such, but they did not take heed. Nonetheless, he still had Samuel to anoint Saul and make him Israel's chosen king. Samuel obeyed God and did whatever God instructed him concerning Saul. How Saul turned out and his having the entire kingdom ripped from under him was not Samuel's fault nor his shame.

​

Although Samuel felt some distress because of the outcome of Saul's reign and the consequences of Saul's disobedience, that was in God's hands, under God's orchestration, and part of God's plan which means that it was up to God to deal with the outcome of it. Samuel's job was to keep doing whatever God instructed him to do. Samuel wrestled, he cried, but he then found his strength in God and picked himself up, wiped away his tears, and went and anointed David as God had told him to do.

​​

Who Owns the Outcome of Our Change?    

​

It is extremely difficult for us to do and quite often we perhaps fail to do it, but what would it look like if we stopped owning the outcome of what God told us to do? What does that mean? When we obey God and things turn out in a way that seems like punishment rather than a result of obedience, trust GOD to both fix what needs to be fixed and handle what needs to be handled. We must realize that at times, in changing what we can, after we make the change, we might then find ourselves being placed in an outcome that we don't have the power to change, and we have to trust God to do it for us!

​

Do you see how it works? Just because we had the power to change something, does not mean that our control over that particular thing or our ability to change it will remain as such. You may have had the power to change jobs in order to start your God endeavor and God might have given you the courage to do so and He might have guided you as to how to go about it. However, once you made the change, the loan that you thought you would get approved for gets denied and there is nothing you can do about it. You were obedient and you changed what you could concerning this God endeavor and now you are in a place in which you can no longer control or change this particular thing, so you now have to take your hands off of it and let God do the rest.

​

The Serenity Prayer is more powerful than we perhaps recognize because if we truly reflect on it, we will forever be in a constant process of facing things that we both can and cannot change and more profound is the fact that there are some things we will find constantly fluctuating in and out of our control.

​​

If we think about our relationships regardless of the type of relationship it is, that "one" relationship will continuously and consistently ping-pong back and forth between us being able to control certain aspects of it and us not being able to control certain aspects of it. It will ping-pong back and forth between us being able to change some things and not being able to change some things. And this is why that "GOD GRANT ME" cannot be removed. This is why that "GOD GRANT ME" is ever so important.

​

We will find that as we go back and forth between accepting what we can’t change and courageously changing what we can, we won't only ask God to grant us serenity or to grant us courage, but along with serenity and courage we will find ourselves asking God to GRANT US PATIENCE, STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, HUMILITY, SELF-CONTROL, and whatever else is going to keep us from not falling astray, stepping out of the will of God, and losing our minds. As we dive deeper into The Serenity Prayer, we will find that many of us might need to recite it as such:

​

GOD GRANT ME (FILL IN THE BLANK) ...because regardless of what we are facing, there is going to be something from God that we need to see our way through! There is going to be something whether physical, mental, spiritual or emotional, whether tangible or intangible, whether a behavior, attitude, or trait, that we are not going to be able to acquire unless God helps us to do so, unless God helps us to get there. We know that peace comes from God. Joy comes from God. Our strength comes from God. Sound knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and discernment comes from God. There are so many things that come from God which means that we NEED HIM to give them to us! We will have to tailor The Serenity Prayer and fill in the blank with whatever we stand in need of that is going to help us to accomplish what we are trying to accomplish.

​

We will find ourselves struggling with many of the things that we think we can instill or develop within ourselves because we keep trying to become a "a better us" without realizing or acknowledging that we need God's help to do so. We will find that we might have to recite The Serenity Prayer in a way that makes it personal to us. Maybe you have the courage to change but you don't have the patience. Therefore, your request will be "God grant me the patience to change the things that I can…". Maybe you have the courage to change but you don't have the discipline to do so. Therefore, your request will be, "God grant me the discipline to change the things that I can...". We can most definitely use The Serenity Prayer as a foundation to build upon and develop those attributes that we need within ourselves to accept what we can't change and change what we can.

​

Allowing God to Guide us Through Change   

​

Since we are not perfect, and since we have flaws, WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES. We will make poor choices and bad decisions. Therefore, we can't depend on ourselves as the only source for becoming a better person. Many of us might make the mistake of either thinking that we're fine, changing things about ourselves that we didn't need to change, or keeping behaviors, attitudes, and traits that we most definitely need to get rid of.

​

We have to do the work to change ourselves and/or the things around us. We have to do the work that is required to become a better person. We have to do the work that is required to change our circumstances. But WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON GOD to navigate us through the process of becoming better. We have to allow God to guide us through change in order to make sure that we're taking the appropriate actions and using the proper judgment as we facilitate this change that we are partaking in.

​

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." -Psalm 143:10 (NIV)

​

"Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." -Proverbs 11:14 (NKJV)

​

Whatever it is that we are seeking whether peace, courage, or any other attribute that we are in need of, the way to it is THROUGH GOD because we know that if it comes from God, it is sound, it is accurate, it is safe, and it is what's best for us.

Because Solomon chose not to keep in following the Spirit of God, but to instead give in to idolatry, that leveled ground, that firmly established throne, was uprooted. It was shaken. It was taken away from the house of David aside from that one tribe, all because Solomon fell victim to his will for himself which God warned him about.

​

God knowing what lied ahead and seeing how Solomon had already become entangled with these foreign women gave him the opportunity to change, to choose a different path, another direction. God had appeared to Solomon on two separate occasions reminding him of his need to obey and follow His commands, and to not worship other gods, but Solomon did not relent from his love of foreign women which led to his also worshipping their gods.

​

Solomon's throne, his reign, and the dynasty, was safe until he chose to no longer follow God's counsel. Both God and David did all that they could to instill in Solomon the importance of following God with his whole heart and fully obeying the commands of God, but he needed to make the choice to accept this counsel and remain steadfast. As long as Solomon abided by the counsel of God and David, he was unstoppable, but upon stepping out of the will of God, although God loved him and did not take His love away from him, there was a consequence for his disobedience.

​

Choosing Wisely!                  

​

Proverbs 12:26 reads, "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray" (NKJV).

​

The King James Version (KJV) reads as follows, "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them."

​

Not only was Proverbs 11:14 which is highlighted in the previous section written by Solomon, but Solomon is also the writer of Proverbs 12. In Proverbs 12, Solomon expounded on the importance of choosing one's friends carefully as the way of the wicked has the power to lead one astray. Whether Solomon wrote this particular proverb before or after his own downfall, we are not aware. However, regardless of the point in which he wrote it, Solomon understood that it was important that one chooses their connections wisely so as to not partake in their wicked ways with them. Yet he did not heed his own advice.

David messed up. David went astray. However, David repented for his sins and turned back to God and did not ever repeat his acts of wickedness. He fell, but he then completely devoted himself to God. He learned from his mistakes. He acknowledged the error of his ways. Solomon did not. Solomon remained in the comforts of love and disobedience to God.

Sin has a way of making many of us comfortable so that we begin to dwell in it, feeling pleasure, contentment, and security in something that is in total opposition of God and His will for us. We must realize that dwelling in the pleasures and comforts of our sin WILL NEVER BE SAFE. Neither will it last. At some point, sin will remind you of who and what it is by the destruction and danger that it will eventually lead you into whether you admit it, recognize it, acknowledge it, or not!

​

Solomon's story shows us that no matter how purposed we are, how anointed we are, how successful, wise, or knowledgeable we are, we still must keep our hearts and our minds focused and committed to God because falling astray is easy. Giving in to what appeases our flesh is easy. Things will come to test us, to tempt us, and because we are not perfect, we might have a David moment and lust after something, an Abraham moment and lie about something, a Jonah moment and get upset at God and stuck in our feelings about something, or much like Solomon we might find ourselves allowing our love for someone or something to pull us away from our obedience and commitment to God. But what will you do next?!

If and when you fall, make the wrong choice, or go astray, will you turn it around like David and Abraham? Will you stay stuck like Jonah? Or will you refuse to change and end up losing it all like Solomon; destroying the very thing that God blessed, guided, and helped you to obtain and establish?

​

If we fall short, we will all have a choice to make. We will have to decide what our turn-around will look like. We will have to be strong enough and courageous enough to pick ourselves back up and let go of whoever and whatever is hindering us, realizing that the work that God has called us to do is too important to allow it to be destroyed or perish all because we chose what we wanted for ourselves over what God wanted for us.

​

If you got it wrong in the past, are dwelling in your mistake right now, or find yourself there in the future, how will you make it right?

​

Perhaps consider allowing your starting point to be confessing whatever you need to confess to God. Ask God for forgiveness and repentance if needed. Even if we don't think we've done anything wrong and even if we feel like we haven't sinned, asking God for forgiveness is still beneficial because sin is not just about what we do outwardly. Therefore, there could very well be things that are in our thoughts, in our hearts, or in our spirits that are not pleasing to God, that we have failed to recognize.​ NO ONE IS PERFECT! We all sin, fall short, mess up, or put ourselves in opposition with God in some way or another, whether intentionally or unintentionally. None of us are capable of doing EVERYTHING RIGHT, which is why the gift of salvation is ever so important, valuable, needed, and appreciated.

​

Once we've confessed and repented as needed, in realizing that there is still a call and purpose on our lives that we must put back into action and once we remember the work that God needs us to complete, take hold of those oh so important words that we have been discussing these past couple weeks, "GOD GRANT ME" and tell GOD EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED BUT HAVE THE COURAGE to accept how and when He gives it to you and what you might have to let go of to receive it. IT TAKES COURAGE AND THE ALMIGHTY GOD TO CREATE CHANGE! CHOOSE GOD! REFUSE TO LOSE!

©Copyright 2026 1st Thessalonians 5 Prayer Connect™