5 Steps to Change Your Life

Hey IFam, it's Sheridan Correa here. So good to be with you here today. Thanks for tuning in. You are watching Stepping Forward, which I am the host, and I am also the Director of Healing and Restoration Initiatives at Victorious Living, and it's so good to be with you here today. Thanks for tuning in. Today we are going to talk about five steps to change your life. Now, this is a practical guide and a biblical guide, and this list is not exhaustive, but these are just five things that I've thought about and, you know, some good steps in order to change your life in a practical guide. So the key scripture that we are going to be talking about here is in 2 Corinthians 5, 17, and it says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new is here. If you are like me, and if you're watching this, hopefully it's because you desire new. You desire the abundant life. You desire to know what God has for you, the purposes, the plans, and the promises even, and how that matters for your life, and how you apply them, and how do you really walk in them. But listen, if you have come to Christ and given him his rightful place and authority, and he is not only your Savior, but he is also the Lord of your life, we are invited into this really incredible thing where we are becoming a new creation. And this language is something that has never been before seen, and it's like a Saul-Paul kind of thing. But then even after that first encounter, then we are still on this journey of sanctification and becoming more like Christ and in the process of change and growth and maturity, right? So I hope you get what I'm putting down. I hope you're picking up what I'm putting down. But change begins when we let God renew our hearts and partner with him in shaping our daily choices.

Transformation and regeneration isn't just about a moment, it is a process of walking out who we've become in Christ. So I want to stop and just give you these questions to think about. Who are you? Who are you? That answer should inform who you are becoming and how you are even behaving. So who are you? Who are you really? Who do you believe that you are? Who do you even belong to? Do you belong to the system? Do you belong to your parents? Do you belong to the gang? Do you belong to that group of fill in the blank over there? Or do you belong to God? Scripture says that we belong to God, that he is our father, and that even as we belong to him, whoever we belong to gets the right to speak into our life. If we are a child of God, and God is our father, and we are adopted into sonship and have received a full inheritance, just as Christ did, that should matter. That should inform the way that we live. That identity should inform not only God's character, but ours. And that should inform even how we are walking out our life and what direction we are going. Identity equals our destiny. And so we have to have the right identity in order to know what our destiny and what direction we are going even to our destiny. So I want you to think about those things. And then who do you want to become? Who do you want to become? Do you want to stay the same? Because God is, I'll give you some truth, God has not called us to stay the same, but

for us to grow and mature and to become all the fullness of all that he has intended for us in his divine design for our life, in his plans and in his purposes for your life. And this journey of faith and restoration and trust and whatever he's called you into specifically for your life, that is the true and proper position of our life. So I want to just go over some five steps that will help you live out the transformation from the inside out. This is not only from the inside out of our inner being on out. because that's how transformation works. We become transformed inside and then the outside starts changing. But this is even in while you are incarcerated from the inside out, okay? Transformation starts here, family. It is not circumstantial or contained by where you are now. Prison doesn't get to dictate whether or not you experience transformation and regeneration. It is not limited by where you live, all right? I wanna make that very clear. So the first one is you need to write down your reason why. Why do you wanna change? Why do you want a different life? Get vision. Biblical perspective, God gives his people vision before he gives them victory. Writing down your why helps you align your desires with his purpose. Vision directs your energy toward what matters most and reminds you of who you are becoming in Christ. Proverbs 29, 18 says without a vision

that we lack drive and passion to step forward and then we become stagnated. Stagnation is damnation. You're either growing or slowing. So we need to get vision. Without vision, the people perish. That's what the word of God says. So we gotta know what's going on. We gotta get perspective. And you have to know your reason why. In my life, it was, you know, I wanna get my kids back. I want to, like, I didn't even understand the restoration or what all was available to me and what all came on that path and on that journey. But the first part was, you know, I wanted to get my motherhood back. I wanted to reclaim my motherhood. That was a vision for me. I wanted to not do the things that I was doing previously. And I wanted to live for God and love God and make him the center of my life. That's what I started out with. But I had a vision for my life. I would dream, I would imagine, and I would make it big. I put no limits on it. Oh, I'm gonna have a house. And family, let me tell you, I was homeless. I was homeless and lived out homelessness for four years. For four years. Today, I'm a homeowner.

I'm a homeowner. I have a great credit score and all that stuff. Like, I had vision for that. And what I did was I created a vision board for my life. I would get into magazines and different things and I would cut out pictures or words and I would put them and glue them and make a big picture out of it. And I hung that up in my, so I could see it every single day and know where I was going and know that those things that I wanted, I had goals and I had dreams and aspirations and they all aligned with God. And it has just been so, so exciting. So I encourage you to get vision, get a why. You need a why behind your what. Yes, we all wanna change, but why? Why do you wanna change? Why do you wanna change? What is it in your life that you want to change and why? Why does it matter to you? Write it down and what you believe God is calling you to do and to change. Ask the Holy Spirit to refine your why so that it reflects his heart. You can't just be like, I want a million dollars. That ain't gonna fly. Okay, that's not in alignment with the Lord. So ask the Holy Spirit to refine your why

so it reflects his heart, not just your goals and your aspirations and your ambitions. We're not called to our own selfish ambitions. Keep it visible, hang it up, put it on your wall. So you remind yourself daily what you're aiming for and why and what that even looks like. We think in pictures, we think in pictures. So if you see a person maybe that you have, you know, that you have aspired to or that has inspired you, say, man, I wanna be like them when I grow up. Like have those people in mind, even asking them to be your mentor if they're around you. But vision without clarity fades. Vision written down so that you can see it and so that it gets out of your head becomes direction and no longer confusion, at least for me, this is true. So what has God placed on your heart that gives your life meaning and direction right now? Reflect on that. How might he be using that in order to give you a different perspective and vision, to get you to, instead of a microscopic view, to get you a macro view and see how he might already be working and moving in your life and on that path. So the second step is making every moment count. Find meaning and purpose. I really, really, truly believe that in our existence, in our search for love, in our search for worth and value, what we are looking for is meaning. And our meaning is hidden in our identity because we mean something to God.

And that's all that matters. That's really all that matters. Teach us, this is in Psalm 90, 12, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. When you realize that you are a new creation and that you are called into the family of God, that you have a new identity, every moment becomes an opportunity to glorify God. Nothing is wasted when it's offered back to him because it already belongs to him. And we are just, he's giving it to us and we recycle it back to him, Lord, everything that you've given me is yours and here I am giving it back to you for your glory and for your purposes. So you get to tell me how to use it and how to wield it. Your work, your rest, your relationships, they all carry an eternal purpose for the glory of God. So begin each morning asking, Lord, how can I honor you today? Identify one small way to bring value or kindness into someone's daily life so you are an active expression and reflection of the love of Jesus. That's what it says in the word of God that the world will know that we are followers of Christ and claim Christ because of the way that we love and how kind we are to others. And audit your time. Does it reflect what you say you value most? If it's social media, I don't know if you have a phone, some of y'all have a phone in prison. Okay. But if you're on social media, if you're even outside of those, uh, the, the bars and not behind them anymore, but in front of them and you are on your device, okay. And you are scrolling away and you're, you're using your time like that. Think about that. That's what you value most. What you spend your most energy and time thinking about is what you value most. Your behavior reflects your values.

So think about those, those things. Don't just fill your calendar, but fill your days with meaning, with serving others, with loving others well, with writing a card or a meaningful note to somebody and going and hiding it in their bunk or whatever. I'm just giving examples, but find purpose and meaning in everything because it is there. The third thing is feed your mind with something positive. Everything that you are reading, hearing, seeing, it's all influencing you. So what goes into the mind becomes the mind. You are what you think you are, what you eat, you are, who you will become, who you surround yourself with. So the biblical perspective here is Romans 12, two, it says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And even the renewing of your, uh, of your circumstance or your situations and the conversations like you need a fresh and to be refreshed often. Okay. So do not conform to the pattern means do not be cut from the same cloth. The world, the world has a very distinct pattern and if you've ever sewn any clothes, I used to sew clothes back in the day, um, and make dresses and things, but there's a pattern and in order to make the item that you want, you have to put the, the, uh, the, the pattern over the cloth and cut it all out and, and pin it together and then sew it and all the things, right? It's this in the same way as like making a quilt or making a piece of clothing. The world has a very specific pattern. It is, should not be a surprise to any of us, but do not conform to the pattern of this world. We are called to a new pattern and a new design and a new identity. And so becoming a new creation starts with renewing our thoughts. When your mind agrees with God's truth, your life begins to follow that truth. What you focus on determines what you become, where your mind is camped out and the, the voices that you are listening to and subscribing to matters greatly.

So feed your mind with positive things. Don't be listening to the enemy's voice of deep discouragement and despair, excuse me, and hopelessness. We want. to listen to God's voice, which encourages us, which strengthens us, which tells us the truth. So start your day with scripture instead of social media or anything else that you may find yourself in that is not giving you life, okay? That is already influencing and affecting your mind. Replace negative self-talk with declarations from God's word. Listen, family, this is a reality. If we grew up in a family in an environment that was very critical and very, very negative, we become what we are modeled and that's our training ground for a lot of us. It influences and shapes the way that even our thoughts and our self-talk is. So if you find that you talk to yourself negatively and bully yourself, maybe that's what happened in your childhood or even your adult life, even in the life that you find yourself in now. But we have a choice and also a responsibility to talk to ourself kindly and compassionately, just like Jesus does. Jesus ain't over there like, oh my gosh, look at you, I can't believe. That's not our Lord. That's not our savior. That's not God's voice. It's not one of shame and condemnation, and it doesn't negatively affect us and impact us. Even when we are being corrected and disciplined by the Holy Spirit and the word of God, it is for our benefit and it's out of love and it actually draws us closer to that. It doesn't make us shy away and go cave dwelling again, like we've talked about in other episodes. We're not cave dwellers anymore. We're not eating out of trash cans.

We are not talking garbage, dumb thinking thoughts to ourselves. So when I think about the things that we are talking, that we are thinking about and what we're saying to ourselves, because it matters greatly to take those thoughts captive in that self-talk captive and bring it to the obedience and the truth of God's word and of what Christ says. Surround yourself with voices that speak life, not fear or defeat. We have enough of that. We have enough of that. Whatever you feed grows, whatever you feed grows. So feed your faith, not the fear, not the fear. Number four is get your body moving. Listen, we are three part being, spirit, soul, and our body, okay? We are not called to do nothing and be lazy and apathetic. That is not it. So you want to take care of your temple. This is a huge step to change. Because if you were like me in addiction, yeah, I'm not moving around. My movement consisted of hustling. I wasn't like doing well by my body, by the gift of my body and treating it as God's temple, treating it as sacred and holy ground. And even watching the things that I was putting into my body for nourishment or making it strong and going to lift. I've always been an athlete. And so in my addiction, obviously, I was not an athlete. A lot of times I was being disciplined and athletic in my addiction and not in these other healthy ways. So there's a scripture in 1 Corinthians 6, 19 to 20. It says, do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? Family, we have a responsibility and a stewardship. It's called stewardship, to steward our power of will in the good way and in healthy ways

to steward our body for the glory of God, because our bodies are a gift. And listen, I have lost the function of my body on several, several occasions. I didn't think I would be able to walk again. I had to learn how to walk. I didn't think I'd be able to run again. I didn't think that I would be able to live a life of physical fulfillment that I do now. I didn't. It was lost and I have regained it back. I have regained that back that has been returned to me. All the teeth that have fallen out, the destruction and the damage that I have done internally from drugs, like all of that has been restored and is healthy. I'm not on, you know, 15 different pills. That was a reality of my life. That was a reality of my life, but I'm on no pills now, which is amazing, amazing, but I take care of my body and we are called to do that. Transformation involves your whole being and when you move your body, you release stress, you release toxins that are being stored and build up. You work through even anxiety and fear. I use exercise as that. We are becoming strengthened and disciplined, and it honors the temple that God has entrusted to you. So move daily, whether it's walking, stretching, running, dancing, working out, like whatever. Move around, get moving. Use physical activity as worship. You can pray, you can give thanks, you can release burdens as you move, as you work out. When I'm anxious, and I have, you know, emotion is energy in motion. And so if I'm sitting there with my anxiety or my fear,

it's just worse. It's like building up, and it feels like I'm a walking hoarder. And so I will get on my running shoes when it's time, when I have the availability, and I'll go for a run, and I will work that out. I will go in the gym, and I'll hit the weights really hard, and I will work it out, and I will pray through it as I'm doing it. And every single time, the Lord has met me there. And when I'm done, and I'm on the other side of that, that breakthrough, because it was kind of like an obstacle, gosh, I had so much clarity. I had, I was not being stuffed, and suppressed, and depressed by whatever I was carrying, and consumed of. So remember that your goal isn't perfection when you are moving. It's not like, ooh, because I want a body, like blah, like that's not it. It's about stewardship. It's about worship. It's about treating the gift of our bodies, and that our bodies belong to God. And He even has a divine design, and a blueprint of how we should work, or sorry, live that out, and walk that out. A moving body often stirs a motivated spirit. That is so, so true. So how might taking better care of your body

help you to serve God and others better? Think about that. Think about that. So the fifth thing is know where you wanna go. Be intentional and directional. Have goals. Goals are so great. We are called to have goals. Otherwise, we don't have anything that we're working toward. Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets that He may run who reads it. That's in Habakkuk 2, Habakkuk 2.2. First Corinthians 9, says through, First Corinthians 9, 24 through 26, 27. Paul talks about that he does not run around aimlessly. There is a certain direction. It is purposeful, and it is intentional. As a new creation in Christ, you are called to live on purpose. Direction brings focus, and it brings momentum. When you're intentional about where you're going, God can order your steps toward it. And do that with the Lord. You don't sit down and just write it all and say, okay, Lord, bless this, woo-woo. But maybe along the way, you offer, what I've learned is, even in making goals, I'm still offering it and submitting it back to the Lord. Say, hey, this is what I have come up with. This is what it looks like.

But this is your gig, and you are the one who orders my steps, even in my goals. And so setting SMART goals is a great thing that I do. SMART goals, if you've heard of it, or haven't heard of it, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. So you have those five attributes, so that it's just not like out there and wandering and circling around and wandering aimlessly, but you know it's very, very intentional and directional. Pray over your goals, align them with God's word, and regularly review and adjust your plans as He leads you, as He shows you different things as you are continuing down the path of obedience. It's a development, it's an involvement journey a lot of times. You can't hit a target that you haven't even defined. So if you just have this huge transcendent view of like, yeah, I just want my life to change, I need you to get specific. It is good for you to even get specific what that looks like. I knew after getting out and reentering society that I wanted to go back to school. I knew that I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to go back to school and earn my degree in counseling. So I did, and I set out to do that, and I completed it, and I finished it. And so that's just an example of a goal.

But here's a question for you. If you stayed on your current path for the next year, would it lead you to where God wants you to go? Remember, goals are our own, and our own goals are our own goals. our change is even intentional and directional. So if you stayed on your current path for the next year, would it lead you to where God wants you to go? So I hope this has been an encouragement to you. I hope you learned something again. Remember, goals are our own, These are truths and wisdom from my life and pulled from my life and they are also biblical. And so it is my great encouragement just to always share these or my great blessing to always share these with you. So I hope you are having an incredible day and experiencing God mightily and that you would continue to experience God in a fresh way. And that these five steps to change your life and partner with the Holy Spirit and the word of God and his transforming power to regenerate your life, that they bless you. I pray that God keeps you, that he goes before you and behind you and beside you, that he's your rear guard, your left guard, your right guard, and that you experience God mightily today. Love you so much here at Victorious Living and we'll see you next time. Bye-bye. Thank you for watching our broadcast. Are you an incarcerated brother or sister who needs encouragement? Write to us at Victorious Living Correspondents, P.O. Box 2751 Greenville, North Carolina 27836 or email us at hope at vlmag.org. To view Victorious Living magazine in its entirety, please have your chaplain contact us at 352-478-2098 or email us through our website at vlmag.org. We are happy to provide our Victorious Living magazine free of charge, in bulk, with or

without staples.