“Sometimes the hardest change is the one everyone else can see.”

The Harder Change

By Evelyne | Whispers With Evelyne

Hey my love,

Welcome back for more whispers. How’s your day going?

As for mine — wheeew, it is cold where I am. I mean really cold. But even in the chill, the day is still beautiful. The cold has its own beauty — one you can’t help but appreciate.

This will be a short blog today (my coffee is calling my name very loudly… and so is my warm bed 😂). But before I answer them, let’s talk about something I read in a book recently — a phrase that made me pause:

“What is on the outside is harder to change than what is on the inside.”

At first, I thought, No way. But the more I sat with it, the more it made sense.

Changing the Inside vs. the Outside

Think about it.

On the inside, you might have already fought your battles. You’ve prayed. You’ve distracted yourself from temptation. You’ve done the work to break an addiction.

But then comes the hard part… Changing the outside.

Letting go of places you used to go. Creating distance from friends you used to hang out with. Shifting your environment so it actually supports your new life.

That’s not so easy, is it?

Another example: Maybe you were a people pleaser for years. You’ve decided you’re going to put yourself first — and it’s been working with new people you meet.

But then a family member asks you to do something you don’t want to. And because you’re so used to the old you, you say yes.

Or… let’s say you’re trying to live a godly life. You want even the way you talk, act, and dress to reflect Christ.

Then someone tells you, “You know… the way you dress doesn’t really represent God.” And now you’re standing in your closet, looking at your favorite short, sexy dress — the one that made you feel confident — and realizing you need to let it go.

That’s hard.

For me, working on the inside hasn’t been the hardest part. But changing what’s on the outside? Wheeew… that’s where it gets tough.

I don’t have all the answers, but maybe this is worth holding onto: Sometimes, that one hard step on the outside — saying no, giving something away, leaving a place you’ve outgrown — could be the very step that gets you to the finish line.

It’s hard, yes. But you know what’s even harder? Living years of your short life replaying scenes in your head about what could have happened if you had just taken that one small, courageous step.

Love, as I said, this blog is short because this phrase is still rolling around in my mind. I don’t think I’ve fully understood it yet.

But maybe that’s okay — sometimes God plants a thought in us, and we grow into its meaning slowly.

Bye, my love. See you for more whispers. And remember… don’t let fear of change stop you from taking that one simple step of courage.