I recently got a haircut. It had been a long time coming. By the time I got it cut, it had become unruly, uneven, and hard to ‬‬assemble into any kind of flattering form. Most days I didn’t want to take the time, so I grew increasingly frustrated with what I saw in the mirror.

There was nothing really stopping me from getting a haircut. Just inertia. Laziness. Complacency.

Finally one day I decided I’d had enough. I needed to move past my acceptance of the status quo and make a change. Reluctantly I went to the hair salon.

When the stylist was finished, he asked me to look in the mirror and check out my new haircut from all sides. Then, he didn’t ask me how it looked. He asked, “How do you feel?”

In that moment I was actually elated. My hair was bouncy and light. I shook my head. I felt freed from some previously unrecognized weight. Baffled, I thanked the stylist and practically skipped out the door.

Since then I have pondered why I waited so long when I was clearly unhappy. I made a promise to myself not to put it off so long next time.

Change is hard. But often change is also very good. Getting rid of useless baggage and old problems can feel so freeing. Cleaning house from time to time, both literally and figuratively, is important for our mental health.

The same is true in our spiritual lives too. Do you have something you do just because you’ve been doing it for a while? Is it still something you think God is calling you to do? Do you hang out with people who no longer seek God’s truth? Maybe it’s time to try something new or to let something old come to a close.

“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬, ‭NLT)

It’s important to look in the spiritual mirror regularly. Do you like what you see? Complacency, laziness, and blind acceptance of the status quo are effective tools of the devil. Open your heart to change. Return to God often for a touch up. Always seek His wisdom and don’t let inertia keep you from all the blessings and freedom of God’s beautiful plan for your life.

Dear God, thank you for the reminder not to sit in my wrongness because it is comfortable. Open my heart to anything new you want me to pursue. And show me the things you want to cut from my life. And please do so, gently.