CHANGE – June 22, 2018

I am going to talk about something that we all have to do consistently throughout our lives no matter our age or status. It is something we often crave, yet do not know how to do. It can be something we absolutely dread and it can leave us worried and afraid. Do you know what one word can dredge up such fear? Change.

Change. So many times in our lives we wish for change. What are some things about yourself you wish you could change? Most of the time when asked that people will answer about things on the outside. I wish I was taller, thinner, had better hair, etc.  We can diet obsessively, wear particular clothes to look a certain way, or dye our hair. But how about those things on the inside of us? Our propensity to anger, lust, jealously, or our judgmental spirit. These things on the inside of us need to change, and often, it happens very slowly.

At the same time we are a people of habit. Many of us have been in the same routine for many years. We get up at the same time, we eat the same things, drink the same things, listen to the same news sources, and on and on. Any of you who have been parents know that kids need an established routine. Any deviation from that routine can often be met with a meltdown of epic proportions. How many toddlers have thrown themselves on the ground because you gave them the blue plate and they wanted green? We can be just like that toddler – in an adult form!

Sometimes there are things about ourselves that we would like a “do over” on. How about those angry words you said and wished you could take back? Or that moment of regret you have over the stupid thing you did? We all have things we know we should have done, but we didn’t. Who were those people you wished you stood up for, or spent more time with? What promises have you broken and wished you could go back and fulfill? Here’s the thing, wallowing over what could have been won’t change any of it, but repenting and asking for forgiveness is something that God can work with and help.

Even though we need to continually change, we can be thankful that we have a God who never changes. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Who does not change like shifting shadows…God’s word also does NOT change. Everything that He has said will come to pass will happen. His word is true, and trustworthy and dependable, even when we are not. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” He is constant! When we are dependent on God we do not have to fear change and we do not have to worry about being tossed around by the winds of change or a world that is rapidly changing around us.  Jeremiah 17:8 says, “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Why? Because no matter the change of season, no matter the lack of rain, no matter the constant change  – God is our stream where we plant our roots. We shall not be moved. You know the song – I shall not be I shall not be moved. Just like a tree planted by the water – I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6 says, “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Even though we might need to make changes, and even though change might be occurring all around us, we can know that we are safe and secure in God’s hands.

As a people, we dislike change. We want the easy way to change. We want the magic pill to drop the pounds – who wants to put in actual effort of eating better and exercising and losing weight over time? We want the get rich quick plan where we invest our money in these few steps and watch our portfolio grow. Self-help books are everywhere and they continually give us the easy ways to make changes. 3 steps to this and 5 steps to that, but you know what? Change is hard. It is painful. It requires letting something go and being willing to risk something. It is not always easy and quick. You have to actually implement the knowledge you have to make a change. It’s one thing to recognize and know you need to change. It’s a whole other thing to take the steps to do it.  What has every coach said to their athletes? No pain, no gain. Patterns and routines of poor thought processes and plain old sin aren’t going to change just by going up for prayer at the end of the service. It’s a start, but you will need to continue to walk it out. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The Greek word for “transformed” is the same as our word “metamorphosis”. Think caterpillar turning to butterfly. It’s a struggle. It’s not that it just becomes something new, it is that it works towards becoming what it was always meant to be. Caterpillars weren’t born with wings, but – they were born to fly. We are all a work in progress. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen without God being the master builder. The thing is, we have to moldable and committed.

Take some time and think about your life. Think about all those things you have changed. Think about all the things that God has helped you through and helped you overcome. Praise and thank him for that. Now think about things in this past year. Are there things you need to change? Are there relationships you need to repair, mindsets you need to break? Pray and ask God to show you what He wants to change. Ask God to help you to overcome that thing that you are stuck on, or to change your mind or behavior. He will help you. Once you know what those things are that he wants to change, don’t be afraid of the ways he will stretch, cajole or force you to change. We have to make steps to walk in our own change.

Just like Abraham who had to be willing to leave his country and go live in a foreign country – we must be willing.  Just like Saul who changed his mind about Jesus and Christians – we must be willing to change our minds. Rethink some of your routines, your patterns and your mindsets.

We change constantly until the day we go home to be with the Lord. We physically change, we mentally change, our surrounding circumstances change. Ruth Graham’s tombstone has these words engraved on them. “End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”

Maybe you are afraid of what change will mean. Our world is changing. Our communities are changing. Somethings are for the better and other things are worse. But God is still in control just as he was 50 years ago and 250 years ago. If you are afraid of changes in your mind or changes you see around you, be honest about it and lay it down. Confess it, and own it. Change is always possible at any age, at any time.

In Christ,

Lisa Diez