One Choice Away from Change: Break the Cycles That Hurt Your Relationships and Hold You Back

by Justin Davis, Trisha Davis

We long for relationships to be joyful and life-giving. So why do they often feel like a struggle? How do we recognize and overcome the behaviors and thought patterns that leave us wounded, broken, and exhausted?
 
One Choice Away from Change helps us identify dysfunctional life patterns that cause us to repeat the same mistakes in our relationships, fall into the same bad habits at work, and argue about the same issues with the people we love. Drawing on their own story of healing, Justin and Trisha Davis offer practical encouragement that equips us
  Understand why we make choices that sabotage us Stop the past from dictating the present Leave behind our go-to sins and dysfunctions Move forward in the hope of who God calls us to be  
Cycle-Breaking Prayers at the end of each chapter help you surrender your past and invite God’s transforming power into your relationships—because you aren’t as stuck as you think you are. In fact, you are just one decision away from breaking the cycles that keep you living in fear and shame. Experience the power of God’s grace … one choice at a time.
 

Genres: Christian Living, Christian

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choices are hard. Even the biblical writer Paul struggled with making right choices. But choices become patterns and those patterns can be changed only by making different choices. The authors do a good job of identifying destructive cycles of behavior and the choices one must make that will lead to freedom. Rather than focusing on the behavior (do not get drunk) they concentrate of why we choose the behavior to start with.

I appreciate their teaching about why we make the choices we do. They explore the basic needs we have as well as past influences on present behavior. We may need to review our past and confront events or things said to us at that time. They include particular teaching on five common issues. I really liked their section on shame, how it differs from guilt and how it gets put on us.

The title of the book may be a bit of a misnomer. While the authors do write, “Choosing to surrender is the one choice that will change everything,” (39) they also remind readers there is no “once-and-done choice that lasts a lifetime.” (115) Breaking cycles is a continuous process and we must repeatedly choose. (115) “Change happens one choice at a time.” (222)

This is a good book for Christians who want to change a cycle of behavior and need to know how to start by making choices.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"One Choice Away from Change" is about getting to the root of our choices. It "...helps you identify the destructive cycles that have held you back and kept you stuck in unhealthy patterns" and break free of them. Part of this is "to let go of the illusion of control and trust God....[which] allows true transformation to take root."

The first part of the book talked about why we repeat the same bad choices even when we know there will be undesirable consequences. The authors then looked at the cycles of blame, unforgiveness, fear, hiddenness, and shame that may be in your life and explained how to break free of them. Each chapter ended in a short prayer. They shared struggles in their own lives based on these cycles, so they're speaking from experience and gave good advice and insights. The book was written in a casual and encouraging tone. Overall, I'd highly recommend this insightful book.

"Words spoken over us leave lasting messages, and words become messages that become cycles....Cycles can lead to narratives that get buried so deep within us that the narratives become the stories we live."

I received a free ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Choice Away from Change is a deeply practical and inspiring guide for anyone feeling stuck in recurring relationship challenges. Justin and Trisha Davis blend personal testimony with actionable strategies, helping readers recognize self sabotaging patterns and replace them with healthier choices. The inclusion of cycle-breaking prayers at the end of each chapter adds a spiritual depth, making this book not only a guide to emotional growth but also a tool for faith-based transformation. Highly recommended for individuals, couples, and small group studies.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of marriage books over the years, but this one hit differently. It was full of content for where we are now and so much was applicable. It was raw, vulnerable, and humble. It was a story of hope. It empowered me to make some personal changes and get out of “stuck.” Highly recommend.

[Henry McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book source for examining how we can make changes to heal our past and move forward into the plan God has for us.