The Power to Change

The Power to Change Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever felt caught in a cycle of trying to change something about yourself, only to fall back into the same patterns again and again? That frustrating loop where you know what needs to change, you sincerely want to change, but somehow the change never lasts? You're not alone. The gap between our intentions and our actions is a universal human struggle. The good news is that lasting change is possible—but it requires a different approach than what most of us have been taught. True transformation isn't about sheer willpower or simply trying harder. It's about understanding the profound connection between who we believe ourselves to be and the habits we form. When we focus on identity before action, when we train rather than just try, when we establish consistent habits instead of relying on hope, and when we tap into a power greater than our own—that's when remarkable change becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

Chapter 1: Start with Your True Identity, Not Just Actions

Our behavior is driven much more by our identity than we realize. You do what you do because of what you think of you. This simple truth explains why so many attempts at change fail—we focus on changing our actions without changing how we see ourselves. Craig Groeschel shares a story about an incident in his church parking lot. He was working in his office with Pastor Robert when suddenly they noticed cars streaming into their lot. Teenagers were pouring out and forming a circle—it was going to be a fight. Craig's first impulse was to run outside yelling "Fight! Fight!" wanting to watch the action. But when he got there, something shifted. He looked at his colleague and they both knew they couldn't just be spectators. They were Christians, pastors, peacemakers. Despite what they initially wanted to do, they had to be true to who they were. Their identity as spiritual leaders demanded different behavior, so they broke up the fight instead. This illustrates perfectly how our self-perception drives our choices. When we try to modify our behavior without addressing our underlying identity, it's like pulling up a weed without removing the root—it will always grow back. For example, someone who promises to never watch pornography again may avoid it for a few days through sheer willpower. But they'll likely return to it because they haven't addressed who they believe themselves to be at the core. The key insight is that our true identity is not determined by our failures or by what others have said about us. God defines our true identity. We are forgiven, loved, accepted, chosen, and capable in Christ. When we embrace these truths about ourselves, our behaviors naturally begin to align with who we really are. To implement this principle, begin by identifying any false self-perceptions that drive your unwanted behaviors. Write down the lies you've believed about yourself and counter them with truths about your God-given identity. For example, if you've believed "I'm just not disciplined," replace it with "I am capable of consistency because God has given me the power of self-control." Remember, transformation starts from the inside out. Your behaviors will change permanently when your self-perception changes first. That's why the most effective approach to change is to focus on who before do.

Chapter 2: Train Intentionally Rather Than Try Harder

The difference between those who achieve their goals and those who don't often isn't about having the same objectives—it's about their approach to reaching them. Winners don't try; they train. This distinction is the game-changer that can transform your life. In the Bible, Paul uses athletic imagery to explain this concept. He writes to the Corinthians that "everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training." Ancient Olympic athletes endured brutal training regimens that included "thirst and broiling heat and swallowing handfuls of sand," according to the philosopher Epictetus. Paul compares his spiritual discipline to this athletic commitment, saying "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should." The problem with merely trying is that it relies on moment-by-moment willpower. Craig describes his own struggle with healthy eating—he would successfully eat well all day but then fail at night, ending his day with brownies, chips, and ice cream. The next morning, he'd feel guilty and vow to try harder, only to repeat the cycle. This pattern continued until he stopped trying and started training—developing a specific plan for the nighttime hours when his willpower was weakest. The distinction between trying and training is crucial: Trying is attempting to do the right thing by exerting effort in the moment. Training is committing to developing strategic habits that equip you to do the right thing when the moment comes. When you train, you're preparing in advance so that when temptation or opportunity arises, you're ready. This approach changes everything. Instead of saying "I'm going to try to read my Bible more," you establish a training regimen: "I will wake up 20 minutes earlier and read my Bible before checking my phone." Instead of trying to improve your marriage, you train by scheduling weekly date nights and daily check-ins. Training creates the conditions for success before the critical moment arrives. To implement this principle in your life, identify one goal and then determine what training—not trying—would look like. What specific habits would prepare you for success? What systems can you put in place? Remember that success in any area comes through consistent practice, not occasional heroic efforts. The power of training over trying gives us hope that we really can change, because we're no longer relying solely on fluctuating willpower. We're building capacity through consistent, strategic habits that make doing the right thing easier over time.

Chapter 3: Build Habits That Last, Not Just Hopes

Your life today has been largely shaped by your habits, not your hopes. According to research from Duke University, about 40% of what we do each day isn't the result of conscious decisions but of habits—actions we take on autopilot. This means that if you want to change your life, you need to change your habits. Daniel's story from the Bible illustrates this principle perfectly. Despite being taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon, Daniel repeatedly distinguished himself and influenced the nation's rulers. When a decree was passed forbidding prayer to anyone except the king, Daniel continued his practice of praying three times daily "just as he had always done." This habit wasn't new—it was deeply ingrained in his identity and daily routine. His consistent spiritual discipline made all the difference in his influence and impact. Similarly, Craig shares how establishing one small habit—flossing his teeth—became his "keystone habit" that led to decades of positive change. It seems insignificant, but flossing daily convinced him that he was indeed a disciplined person, contrary to what he had previously believed about himself. From that foundation, he added one new strategic habit each year for over thirty years, transforming his life through consistent small actions. The key to successfully establishing habits is understanding the habit loop: cue, craving, response, and reward. Habits form when we repeat this loop enough times that the process becomes automatic. For example, checking social media might start with the cue of idle time, lead to a craving for entertainment, trigger the response of pulling out your phone, and result in the reward of a dopamine rush. To build lasting habits, make them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. For instance, if you want to read your Bible daily, place it on your nightstand (obvious), do it in a comfortable spot with your favorite coffee (attractive), commit to reading just one page to start (easy), and track your progress in a visible way (satisfying). It's equally important to break unwanted habits by making them invisible, unattractive, difficult, and unsatisfying. If you struggle with online shopping, delete shopping apps, block certain websites, and make purchases require multiple steps of approval. The beautiful truth is that never underestimate how God can start something big through one small habit. The small things no one sees can lead to the big results everyone wants. Whether it's daily prayer, Bible reading, exercise, or financial discipline, consistent habits compound over time to produce remarkable transformation. Remember: Hope doesn't change your life. Habits do. By mastering the habits that matter most, you can change your life one small, consistent action at a time.

Chapter 4: Sow Consistently to Reap Abundantly

Have you ever looked at successful people and wondered how they achieved what they have? Many of us assume they were just lucky or blessed with natural talent. But the truth is far more encouraging: successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally. In his research for the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell discovered that people who became great at something typically put in ten thousand hours of practice. When NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his seemingly impossible one-handed catch that many consider the greatest ever, people thought it was luck. Then reports emerged that Beckham had practiced one-handed catches every single day since high school. It wasn't luck—it was consistency. This principle is beautifully illustrated in the Bible through Nehemiah's story. When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem's walls lying in ruins, he could have thought there was nothing he could do. Instead, he took responsibility and developed a strategic plan. Despite opposition and obstacles, Nehemiah led the people to rebuild the wall—one brick at a time. The wall that had been broken for 140 years was completely rebuilt in just 52 days! The transformation that seemed impossible happened through consistent, daily effort. The Bible also uses agricultural imagery to explain this principle: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). This isn't just a spiritual truth but a life principle. What you plant is what you'll harvest. If you plant seeds of criticism and negativity but expect good friendships, you'll be disappointed. If you plant seeds of laziness at work but expect promotion, you'll be frustrated. Even more powerful is the truth that you reap more than you sow. Just as one seed produces many seeds, your habits multiply in impact over time. This happens through the cumulative effect and compound interest. For example, saving just two dollars daily from age twenty can grow to one million dollars by retirement. Eating just 100 fewer calories daily can lead to losing ten pounds in a year. However, patience is required because you also reap after you sow. The harvest comes in a different season than the planting. That's why many people give up too soon—they don't see immediate results and conclude their efforts aren't working. But as Galatians 6:9 encourages us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." To apply this principle, identify one area where you've been inconsistent but want to see change. Commit to daily, consistent action in that area—no matter how small. Remember that you don't have to be perfect to be consistent. Value progress over perfection. The small things you do consistently today will compound into the life transformation you desire tomorrow. Your hard work, discipline, sacrifices, and faithfulness are never wasted. They are being stored up for a future harvest that will come if you don't give up.

Chapter 5: Access God's Power, Not Just Willpower

Have you ever felt completely stuck in a pattern of behavior, unable to break free no matter how hard you try? Like the woman in Kansas who literally became stuck to her toilet seat after sitting there for two years, we can become trapped in destructive habits that seem impossible to escape. The apostle Paul captured this universal struggle perfectly when he wrote, "I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway" (Romans 7:18-19 NLT). The harsh reality is that willpower doesn't work for lasting change. Research consistently shows that willpower is a limited resource that becomes depleted with use—like a muscle that fatigues. When researchers invited people to eat either cookies or radishes, those forced to resist the cookies and eat radishes gave up much sooner on a subsequent challenging puzzle. Their willpower had been depleted by resisting temptation. Craig shares his own struggle with alcohol in college. He would repeatedly decide to quit drinking, believing his willpower was sufficient, only to find himself with a beer in hand again. The cycle of trying, failing, and shame continued until he realized a profound truth: "I can't. But God can." The solution Paul discovered after lamenting his inability to change was simple yet revolutionary: "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:25 NLT). The power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us. Ephesians 1:19-20 tells us about "the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead." To access this power, Craig suggests four key actions represented by the words Renew, Remain, Acknowledge, and Ask. First, renew your mind through God's Word, allowing His truth to transform your thinking. Second, remain connected to Jesus as your source of strength, making Him your spiritual home. Third, acknowledge your inability to change through willpower alone. Finally, ask God for His power in moments of temptation or opportunity. This approach worked for Craig when he committed to sexual purity in college after becoming a Christian. His fraternity brothers bet money on how quickly he would break his commitment, but through God's power—not his own willpower—he maintained his purity. The Holy Spirit led him to stop dating for an extended period while God renewed his mind about relationships. This transformation laid the foundation for his eventual healthy marriage. To implement this principle, identify areas where you've been relying on willpower and consistently failing. Pray specifically: "God, I can't _________, but you can by _________." Then take steps forward in confidence, knowing you're walking in God's power, not your own. When you fall—and you will—get back up and keep walking. Remember that when you're winning, you're winning, and when you're losing, you're learning. The incredible truth is that you can change. Your life can be transformed. Not by your power, but by God's power working through you.

Summary

Throughout this journey, we've discovered that lasting change comes not from willpower but from a profound transformation in how we see ourselves and how we approach change. When we start with our true identity in Christ, when we train rather than just try, when we establish powerful habits instead of mere hopes, when we sow consistently with patience, and when we access God's power rather than relying on our own strength—that's when remarkable change becomes not just possible but inevitable. As Craig Groeschel powerfully reminds us, "You do what you do because of what you think of you." This truth revolutionizes our approach to change. The small things no one sees can lead to the big results everyone wants, especially when we remain faithful in the valley of disappointment, knowing our efforts are being stored up for a future harvest. Today, choose one small habit to start or stop that aligns with who God says you are. Remember, success happens not by accident but by habits, and God's power is available to help you establish those habits that matter most.

About Author

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Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, a multisite church with locations throughout the United States and globally at Life.Church Online. Craig and his wife Amy started Life.Church in a two-car garage in Edmond, Oklahoma in January 1996. While Life.Church has grown over the years, its mission remains the same: to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Today, the church is known for its innovative use of technology to spread the Gospel, launching the first fully digital church experience in 2006 and the most downloaded Bible app in history, YouVersion, in 2008.As a widely respected leader in the Church, Craig speaks frequently at leadership events and conferences worldwide. He is a New York Times best-selling author with books about topics like dating and marriage, social media, purpose, direction, church leadership, and more. He also hosts the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, a practical tool to spark new ideas and prompt innovative thinking in leaders at every level within any organization. Craig and Amy married in 1991 and have six children. They live in Oklahoma where Life.Church began. Visit www.craiggroeschel.com to be the first to hear about new podcast episodes, books, leadership events, and more.

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