Admittedly, it can be intimidating to come before God to have Him change us. He might change our possessions, our relationships, our dreams in life, our reputation, our hobbies, our privilege, our generosity, our pleasures, etc. Most of us begin wanting to add Jesus to our existing lives, rather than have Jesus replace our lives, but that isn't how God is working. It isn't how Scripture describes the journey of a Christian. How do we find the courage? For us to genuinely and regularly kneel before God to ask Him to change us into the image of Jesus, as our Faith continuously urges us, we will need to trust that God loves us and has our best interests in mind. The disciplines of praise and thanksgiving prepare you for this change, as they recollect what God has done for you in the past and reflect on the very nature of God's goodness and love. Sure, we know the teaching that God loves us, but actually experiencing that love will give us the willingness to come before Him every day and eagerly desire for more and more change.