Courage to Change

This morning I read the Serenity Prayer differently than usual. I've always focused on accepting what I cannot change - other people's drinking, their choices, their lives. But today the next line struck me: courage to change the things I can. Not ability to change. Not willpower to change. Courage.

I work Step Seven by asking God for the courage to change the things I can. The things I can change are my attitudes, my responses, my behaviors. But changing them requires courage because my character defects have protected me for decades. It takes courage to stop controlling when controlling has made me feel safe even though it was false safety. It takes courage to set boundaries when people-pleasing has prevented conflict even though it destroyed my peace. It takes courage to ask God to remove defects when I don't know who I'll be without them.

This courage I need doesn't come from within. It comes from God. I can't manufacture the courage to change through self-help or positive thinking. I have to ask for it. God grant me courage to let You change me. Courage to cooperate with Your removal of traits I've clung to. Courage to discover who I am when fear stops driving my behavior. That's what Step Seven asks for - not courage to fix myself but courage to let God transform me.