I Don’t Love Change
Nothing New.
In my quiet time this morning, I realized I was sitting on 25 year old couches, looking at faux-finish painted walls which were all the rage about … 25 years ago, wearing a robe that is, yes, you guessed it, almost 25 years old.
I do not love change – even if it’s my idea! But, just because I hate change does not mean it doesn’t happen anyway.
Things break and wear out. Children grow up and move away. Friends take on new interests and invite you to join them or leave you behind. Opportunities evolve and disintegrate.
God uses change.
Change is how God gets our attention and stretches our trust in him. Without change, I get stuck in patterns and habits that become familiar, self-reliant, and possibly destructive.
In Judges 7, Gideon (a farmer with no military experience) was interrupted from his wheat threshing to go fight several hundred thousand Midianites with only 300 men, each armed with a torch, a trumpet and a pitcher!
In Exodus 9, God commanded the shepherd Moses, (a man with a speech impediment), to return to Egypt, (a land he’d fled to avoid prosecution for murder), to talk Pharaoh into freeing millions of slaves.
Change engages our trust because there is a big difference between believing God IS, and trusting God WILL provide the support, the words, the victory, the healing or the way through change on time and in time!
Overcoming what-if
Over the years, Holy Spirit has whispered,“Trust me,” more times than I can count. But I counter with. What if I can’t do this thing you’re asking of me, God?
See, I know there is a God in Heaven who loves and cares about me. I know that nothing is impossible for Him. I know that all the promises in the Bible are as true today as when they were written.
But, I often have a disconnect. I believe that even though God can do all things, there is a distinct possibility he might not.
When faced with contentious elections, an ugly diagnosis, rebellious children, financial crisis, disorder or chaos of any kind, the temptation is to falter – not in belief of who God is, but into distrust that He will.
Even though we know God IS, fear displaces our trust because we don’t know if God WILL.
We don’t trust that God will make things turn out the way we want them … in time or on time.
Flex trust muscles.
How can I, how can you, flex those trust muscles?
1. Embrace change.
Knowing that change is one way God speaks to our hearts and challenges our faith to new levels, remind yourself:
Change is challenging.
Change is inevitable.
Change is necessary.
2. Study His Word
When we study God’s word, we see His faithfulness to all the heroes and heroines of the Bible. You can muster the faith to embrace change and trust God by knowing his love, knowing his character and hearing his voice.
3. Review your history.
Remind yourself of all the things that have not killed you. Review the many times you feared the end of a relationship or financial ruin or a health crisis that not only passed, but fortified your faith in God!
Change is hard, of that there is no doubt, but knowing God uses it to draw us closer and make us stronger does help face it, trusting Him to get us through it.
I don’t love change, but I do love God and trust him to lead me through all the changes I face.
I’d love to hear how you’re embracing changes in these crazy days. Leave me a comment and I’ll be sure to read every word.
Verse for today: No temptation (trial or changes) has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB
Prayer: God, it’s so easy to stay stuck, afraid of making the wrong move and trying so hard to avoid pain or discomfort. Show your face to us and lead us past the changes that keep us from experiencing your power and love in wonderful ways. In Jesus Name amen
Hi Robyn, great devotion as always. My problem has often been the opposite, though. I was addicted to change, I longed for it, hardly ever staying in one place more than 5 or 6 years before the itch to go somewhere new, get a different position, or adopt a whole different mindset about something. My friends who witnessed some of these changes used to tell me that I was fine with singing “I’ll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord,” but that I could not choke out the words if it was “I’ll stay where you want me to stay, Dear Lord”. I kept one foot in the land of new and different on the way” and one foot in “I’ll try to be content where I am” land. It took getting older and realizing that maybe some of those options I had before were not waiting for me anymore before I was ready to stop the pursuit of giant changes and start looking at ways I could make smaller changes to avoid the boredom and stagnation I had always feared. And now, in retirement, I have discovered that there is a whole daytime of opportunities I can pick from that my career prevented me from discovering. Yes, I am one of those “coffee/journaling in local coffee shops” people now , and I love it! There is no total avoiding of change, but there is also no need to have constant change just for change’s sake. Balance has moved into the neighborhood, and I am liking its company!
Wow Darlene. Thanks for sharing! What a different perspective you had. I appreciate your posting!
A day at a time is helping me to endure the changes happening !
Phyllis,
That’s a great attitude. One day at a time.
Thanks for posting.
Very thought provoking and was exactly what I needed this morning. In a bit of limbo work wise and financially and need to make some changes but feel terrified. Fear of what is next and fear of whether I can. The phrase self-reliant popped off the screen at me and I realize I am not trusting, but am trying to steer myself. The suggestions are helpful. Thanks for your post.
Linda, I’m so glad this devotional resonated with you, too. Thanks for your honesty.
I don’t love change either. This year with my body wore out from doing production jobs, the ones with heavy lifting and rotating shifts. In March I was looking for a job just as the pandemic broke out, but God was so good to me I found a job as a security guard and for the first time in years I’m not crying in pain. In my new job I can study the Bible the Bible like never before.
Rene, How wonderful to hear how change is good! Thanks for posting. Very encouraging!
I’m like Darleen. I love change also but probably went a little over board. My husband & I have been together for 26 yrs and have lived in 7 different homes! We built two & the others we would remodel, landscape and then move again. The longest we were in a house was 7 yrs. But like Darleen, now that we are retired it’s time to stop & enjoy our home and the best neighborhood we have ever lived in! One of the neighbor ladies even hosts a bible study in the summer. We’ve met so many great people by moving here. One regret we have by moving so much is, our kids never had a place to call home for very long.
Robyn,
God used this message to speak hope and encouragement into my life this morning. Since May I have been dealing with postpartum anxiety (not something I experienced with any of my previous pregnancies or really ever in my life). I could write a book on all of the ways God is using this crisis to refine my faith and humble my heart ( who knows, maybe one day I will ). But yesterday evening, after what I considered to be a very encouraging appointment with a health specialist, I felt myself slipping back into panic at all of the “what-if’s” and proposed changes. You gave me such insight to the fear that I was experiencing but not quite understanding – it was not necessarily a questioning of whether or not God COULD but rather a question of whether or not he WOULD. And in a season where I am desperate for comfort and predictability, what a loving reminder of how dangerous my desire for familiarity and self-sufficiency can be. Praise the Lord for his patience with my resistance to change and for his perfectly timed message of truth. Thank you for being His vessel
Oh Ashley, my heart! Amen, dear one. Amen.
very good thoughts and encouragement. I like change as in my home rearranged and new things but in life change can be hard. It was good to hear this for this year. there has been many changes this year. Merry Christmas and God bless Robyn.
And to you, Sidnei