How Does Change Happen?

I come from a Charismatic background in which one of the tenets is that God heals us (changes us) through prayer, through the laying on of hands, and through fasting (an apophatic approach to God). Somewhere inside of me, the truth that God heals supernaturally slid from that (appropriate) position to the (not appropriate) position that that is the only legitimate way that change occurs and if you seek any other way, you have dishonored God, you've abdicated, you've failed.

So as a Counselor, I ponder a lot how change happens. After all, people are coming to me for guidance in, how does one change? I've concluded that God does heal supernaturally in the area of emotions just like He heals supernaturally our physical bodies. But just like physical healings are rare, so are emotional healings rare. But if my clients want to go the supernatural route, I encourage them to do that.

But if they don't want to go that route, I am grateful that God has given all of us the ability to change by changing our thoughts. We don't have to go to meetings and wait for The Spirit that seems to "move" on some and not on others. When we change our thoughts, we change our actions. When we change our actions, we change our habits. When we change our habits, we change our character. When we change our character, we change our destiny - a sure way of "salvation".

As the Charismatics would say,"Thank you, Jesus!"