As simplistic as the title might seem, it’s a shame how often we desire change without actually implementing it. Whether it’s a relationship that’s broken, an education that remains elusive or a weight loss goal that stays frustratingly out of reach, when it comes to meaningful change, you don’t get points for how much you want it. What matters is what you actually do to affect change in your life.

In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah finds himself as an exiled Jew serving the king of Persia when he receives troubling news: Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:2-4).

At this point Nehemiah was like the thousands of other Jews who knew of the disgrace of their home city with no walls. In fact by this point the walls had been broken down for over 140 years. 140 years of a problem that needed solving with no one solving it. Entire generations born and died with the knowledge of this disgrace. Countless Jews felt bad about the situation. Countless Jews most likely wanted to do something about it. But 140 years went by before one man, Nehemiah, actually did something about it. The rest of the book of Nehemiah is the story of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, something accomplished in 52 days. It took less than two months to complete something that needed to be done for over a century.

Change doesn’t happen until you actually do something about it. If it’s a relationship that’s broken, a marriage that’s struggling or a family dynamic that’s dysfunctional, you don’t get points for wanting to do something about it. Actually do something. It doesn’t matter how bad you feel because you haven’t been to the gym in months. Guilt is not an effective weight loss strategy. It doesn’t matter how much you want to get out of debt. Desire alone doesn’t cut up those credit cards. There’s something in your life you’ve put off doing for far too long. Stop wanting and start doing. Change doesn’t happen until you actually do something about it.