"By changing nothing, nothing changes." - Tony Robbins
"All great changes are preceded by chaos." - Deepak Chopra
There is one guarantee in life. That guarantee is that change will happen.
It is a part of life. It is constant. Nothing would exist without it. It is inevitable and essential. It is the one thing that will have the most dramatic impact on your life. You cannot avoid it. It will and must happen. And the more you resist it, the tougher things will be for you.
It can come in many forms. It can come as a result of a crisis, choice, decision, or unexpected circumstance. It can come forcefully like a tidal wave - in the form of adversity, calamity, or tragedy. It can also follow difficult choices, broken relationships, or even new opportunities.
Whether you are aware of it or not, it can occur at regular intervals. Or it can come uninvited and be most difficult and painful to endure. Yet, even though it may be difficult, oftentimes, it is for the best.
Some changes are a challenge. Oftentimes, by forcing you to undergo difficult changes, it is the only way to improve your life.
Many life changes are unexpected and beyond your control. One way to look at them is as a new adventure...a new chapter in your life...or a fresh opportunity to be all that Jesus designed for you to be.
In order to accomplish great things in your life, you will be required to be push beyond your comfort zone. This will require significant change.
Most people do not like change. The reason being is because they fear the unknown that accompanies it. They are too comfortable with the way things presently are - their routines, lives, friends, etc. They prefer the security of the known rather than the unknown. However, what may seem frightening at first - in the long run oftentimes turns out for the best.
Change is such a part of your life and mine. It can be found in our every day vocabulary when we use such words as - about-face, addition, adjustment, advance, development, deviation, conversion, correction, innovation, modification, reversal, revision, revolution, retraction, shift, switch, transformation, and transition.
Many great leaders made profound statements concerning change. Here are a few examples -
Albert Einstein said - "The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."
C.S. Lewis said - "Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward."
Winston Churchill said - "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
Johann Wolfgang said - "Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes."
Ranging from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible - the Christian's rule book for life - says much about change.
Some changes are detrimental.
After Adam and Eve fell, things changed dramatically for mankind. Sin entered the picture - along with sorrow and pain.
As a result, Eve received this verdict of change - "...I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (Genesis 3:16)
As a result of his disobedience, Adam received this verdict of change - "...cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee...In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19)
In Genesis 5, we read such accounts of change for man who was created in the image of God - "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years , and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image... And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died." (verses 3-5).
Tragic changes continued to happen for mankind.
During the days of Noah, the earth became "corrupt before God" and "filled with violence" - "for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." (Genesis 6:11-12). Consequently, God destroyed the known world with a flood - bringing great changes to the earth as a result.
But He left Noah and all of mankind with a promise of constant changes to expect - "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22)
Some changes are God-inspired and for the good of the individual who will respond in obedience.
In Genesis 12, we read of a man named Abram who was called of God to embrace change. God asked him to leave his country and live in a foreign land. This would require that he live in a different culture, language, and tradition - while leaving relatives, friends, and the security of home for the unknown place where God was sending him.
If He obeyed and was willing to embrace change, his name and family would be great...he would have many descendents...and the world would be blessed through him. Abram considered the change...examined the pain involved...and decided that the blessings that God was offering him were well worth it.
Some changes are man-inspired and bring forth heartache, pain, suffering, loss, and even death.
This was the case for Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons - Mahlon and Chilion. The unexpected happened. There was a famine in the land of Bethlehem-judah. So Elimelech moved his family to Moab. Over the course of ten (10) years. he died - along with his two sons - leaving Naomi alone with her two daughters-in-law - Orpah and Rutth.
At first, Naomi's response - to these drastic changes in her life - was this - "...Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty..." (Ruth 1:20-21)
However, as you come to the end of the story, you find that God had a wonderful change in mind for Naomi through Obed - the son born to Ruth and Boaz - "And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him." (Ruth 4:15)
Some changes require great faith as in the case of Mary, the mother of Jesus - "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS...Then Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee..." (Luke 1:31, 34-35)
Even though some changes seem so glorious, they oftentimes come with a price.
It certainly did for Mary -"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."
"And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 2:34-35)
Lastly, some changes never happen because the individual is not willing to go God's way.
This was the case for the rich young ruler. Matthew 19:21 tells us that Jesus called for him to make some changes in his life - "...If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me." However, this rich man considered the change...examined the pain involved...and decided it was not worth it. Matthew 19:22 goes on to say - "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."
There is no doubt about it. Change is a part of your life. It is inevitable and essential. And you cannot avoid it.
Presently, you may be facing the "pain" of change that came uninvited...was unexpected and beyond your control...or was imposed on you suddenly and without your approval. Or you may feel the Lord compelling you beyond your comfort zone and you are meeting with great resistance from your flesh.
Your change may be the result of your own sin or someone else's. It may be God-inspired like Abram's or man-inspired like Elimelech's. It may require great faith as it did for Mary or it may require laying your absolute "ALL" on the altar as in the case of the rich young ruler.
God loves you too much to allow you to stay where you are.
What changes are you facing right now?
Remember - You cannot run from change!
It is inescapable!
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved