Why Change Feels So Hard—Even When We Believe God Is Sovereign
by Kate Dodd
If God is sovereign—and we truly believe that—why do we keep struggling with the same behaviors, the same sin?
Why do we repent sincerely, name our sin honestly, and still find ourselves circling back to familiar patterns? The sharp word. The hidden habit. The anxious grasp for control. The quiet resentment. The self-reliance we want to surrender.
The apostle Paul names this tension plainly:
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).
Our struggle is not new, and it is not evidence that God is absent. It reveals something deeper happening in the human heart.
We may acknowledge God’s sovereignty with our words, yet still wrestle with obedience in our lives. Scripture reminds us that knowing truth and living it out are not the same thing. Even God’s people—fully aware of who He is—have always struggled to trust Him fully.
Repentance Addresses Sin
Idolatry Reveals the Deeper Why
Repentance is essential. It is God’s gracious invitation to turn from sin and return to Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). But repentance often names what we’ve done, while idolatry exposes why we keep doing it.
God’s first commandment reveals how easily our hearts wander:
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
Idolatry is not only bowing to false gods—it is trusting anything more than God for security, comfort, identity, or control. Even good things can quietly take God’s place when they become the source of our peace or worth.
When behavior does not change, it may be because something beneath the behavior has not yet been surrendered.
Jesus names this heart-level reality when He says,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Why Our Hearts Resist Change
Behavioral change feels threatening when the behavior has been serving us—at least temporarily.
That habit numbs pain.
That pattern offers control.
That reaction protects from vulnerability.
Even when we know our coping mechanisms do not lead to life, our hearts cling to what feels familiar. Idols promise safety or relief—but they can never deliver lasting peace and they always fall short.
God, however, invites us into something better:
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him” (Jeremiah 17:7).
True Change Requires a Transfer of Trust
Lasting transformation is not about trying harder—it is about trusting deeper.
Proverbs reminds us where real change begins:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Trusting God’s sovereignty, frees us from carrying the weight of control. When we truly believe He is sovereign and good, we can loosen our grip on the things we have relied on to hold our lives together.
An Invitation to Look Deeper
If you feel stuck in a pattern you have repented of many times, do not assume failure. Instead, ask the Spirit to search your heart.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
What might God be inviting you to release—not just stop?
What misplaced trust is He gently asking you to surrender?
God is patient with hearts that are learning to let go. And He is faithful to finish what He has begun.
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Today, may we move beyond managing behavior and allow the Spirit to re-order our loves and our lives—so that God alone sits on the throne of our hearts.
How can you live out your everyday faith in the middle of what you’re facing today?
For prayer or encouragement, connect with Kate Dodd, Director of Care, at Kate@centerchurch.live.
