Friday, June 4, 2010

Now is the time... To Embrace Change


Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. Psalm 55:19b

In the past week I received a request for prayer from a friend in her 70’s who is working in a restricted country to bring the good news of the gospel to all who will listen. Something was about to take place which was a change in the norm for her. It was uncomfortable but I was so impressed with her response…. “Personally I am not comfortable with this (new procedure) but He is much bigger than me and I am sure He has it all worked out. Things will be different this (time) and I need to adjust and grow.” (I changed a couple of words for security purposes.) Here is a woman who is not afraid to embrace change, she is willing to trust God to work things out.

I am fortunate in that I love change so it is not difficult for me. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find it difficult to move out of my own comfort zone at times, but I know that many people fear and even strongly resist and refuse change. The verse I used today is specifically speaking about ungodly people not changing and therefore it shows that they do not fear God. As I meditated on this problem of the unwillingness to change, I could think of some people I know who resist change and have been the losers because of such an attitude.

Change requires a greater level of trust in God because change is scary – even for those of us who enjoy change. If our faith is not challenged it won’t develop and mature as it should. It is possible that many people miss out on great adventures with God because they are unwilling to step out of their comfort zone. Refusing change can also be detrimental to our finances, our mental health and our future possibilities in life. It can also at times make life difficult for others.

Churches that are unwilling to make changes often become a shadow of their former glory because the world moves on and leaves them behind. In saying all this I am not saying that we need to embrace every new idea and fad that comes along because much in our world today needs to be resisted.

We need to know when God is prodding us to make a change or when it’s just the world trying to make us conform to its mold. If it’s God, then he will have his reason for moving us toward a change and we should willingly prepare to follow. The Israelites would have still been camping in the desert if they had not been willing to follow the pillar of cloud and fire and their God-fearing leaders to possess their promised land. Is there anything you are missing out on because you are afraid of embracing change?

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see where I am resistant to change. Help me to retain a flexibility that you can work with to bring fullness of life to me and blessing to others. Amen

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