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Scripture Verses
- Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
- Matthew 8:24–27
Questions to Consider
- Why is change hard?
- What changes are you resisting that you know you need to make?
- What do you do to embrace change?
- How does Jesus help us change?
Plan of Action
- We become creatures of habit. We fall into certain patterns. Today you are challenged to break a routine. Becoming comfortable changing smaller things helps us become more comfortable when the time comes to change bigger things. This is about training ourselves to become comfortable with change.
- While everything around us changes, you need a solid foundation (see Matthew 8:24–27). Set a certain time of the day for prayer and the study of God’s Word. Stick to it. Don’t change the time of the day. Don’t let anything change this priority. Let that time of the day serve as your anchor.
Reflection
It is said the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. I would suggest another thing which is certain is “change.” That’s actually the point behind the saying. Nothing stays the same forever. Seasons come and seasons go (see Ecclesiastes 3:1–8).
But we resist change. We try as hard as we can to hold on to an ideal past or present. We romanticize about our glory days of the past. We try to keep things the way they are now. But part of the problem with the glory days is they were not as glorious as we make them out to be. The present is not much better. We would do well to envision a changed and better future.
In Matthew 4:12–17, Jesus begins his ministry. The message he preached was:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
I want you to pay special attention to that first word which is “Repent.” Repent means to turn around and go in a different direction. Repentance is different from confession. Confession is to admit that I am wrong. Repentance is to actually stop what I am doing and to change my ways. Ultimately, repentance is about change in me.
Repentance starts with an open heart. Ask God to reveal in you what needs to be different. Ask him for the desire and the will to make the necessary change. There are many times when we know we need to change, but the change we need to make is just too hard. Rely upon his strength!
One of the keys to embracing the necessary change is having a solid foundation. If you have a solid foundation, change is not something to be feared. For us, our solid foundation is Jesus. He keeps us centered and secure. The Bible tells us:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the most certain thing we have in life. When our world is rocked, he doesn’t roll away.
There is also the change around us. That change will often come like a tsunami and there is no way to stand against that wave. We have seen sweeping changes over the landscape of America and the social climate. There are numerous approaches people take in regards to the change. Some will fight it. Some will bury their heads in the sand. Still others embrace it.
I may not always like what is happening around me. I may be upset about what is changing. I have found that when I am uncomfortable with the changes around me, it is time to go back to God and ask him what he wants to change in me. The problem is not always with what is happening around me, but the problem is often with what is happening in my heart. The world is changing everyday. If you allow God to change you and mold you, the future is full of exciting possibilities.
But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (ESV)