“Change on a Whim”

 When big changes come in life we often find it unsettling! This has always been the case with humanity.

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing,”Philippians 2:13-14 

Philippians 2:13-14 explains how Christians ought to live, considering all that Christ was willing to do for them. God makes His own both willing and wanting to do His work. This has to do with confidence in God’s work in God’s church. If we submit to God’s will, He will work in His own inimitable way. The word “works” in the Bible is always used supernaturally and of effective action. God’s work will not be frustrated. God will affect the result. The idea of “disputing” includes arguments and quarrels. Those who serve the Lord should not be known for arguing, but for humble service. 

Have you ever had a problem with organizational trust and the word “Change” I’ve been impulsively in recent times at not giving them my complete thought or even a little smell of tolerance. Yet, putting to death,my human nature has been difficult and trying to tell the difference between being wise about those words and just forgive don’t begin to tell the story of my overly self-protective fresh sadness or concern. I find myself in recent days reluctant to be supportive to any extent or even try to defend “change”, but wisdom tells me to do some introspection and, pray, asking God to heal my wounded heart toward this adverse pessimism. 

Knowing the idea that we have “put on the new self” is a conviction that strengthens our repentance resolve. We’re putting on the new self “which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” Colossians 4:10. Now that is a glorious thing to believe. The battle I’m fighting with the weeds in my spiritual garden is something God is working in me as I work on it. I am reminded every day that the Bible is the Word of God written to His people and, as such, it contains everything we need to be “complete” (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Part of the “everything” we need is comfort. So why doesn’t the organizational world, comfort me/us? Love on?

You see dealing with disapproval is nothing new. Since Adam and Eve were first banished from the garden, life has been hard and we have been complaining about it (Genesis 3:23). It is the nature of sinful humans to live for ourselves and to complain when our desires are not being met (Galatians 5:19-20). We tend to argue for our “rights,” demand our way, and oppose anyone who disagrees with us. That combination results in a general spirit of unhelpfulness to the world and life in general. It is understandable if those who do not know Christ are negative. They have no hope of anything beyond this world and its confusion. But negativity in a Christian’s attitude means he is refusing to see life from God’s perspective. When we join in with hostility, pride, and complaining, we are reacting the same way unbelievers do. 

Unfortunately, God’s people are often just as guilty of negativity and grumbling as those who do not know God and that is where I become perplexed and need time to reconcile. I just don’t like being treated like a “mushroom”.

We often forget Jesus’s words, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Change can be one of the most stressful things in life, even when the change is anticipated. Challenge to change is natural to human nature. Can a person be in a spiritual pothole? Have you ever wondered why you haven’t grown divinely? Are you covering the same ground in your Christian walk? Do you wonder why though you are learning about Jesus, you are not living like him? Are you saying to yourself, “I’ve been a Christian for years, but I don’t feel any closer to Christ today than I did years ago?” The Bible talks about life transformation and we hear others tell how their lives have changed. For many of us we desperately want to change. But we see so little of it personally. Why? Perhaps part of the problem is some faulty assumptions. You know, a family member of mine used to say, “The translation of the gospel that most people read is the translation into daily living.” How do these weeds affect your relationships when, “Change on a Whim” happens?

We face change as we mature, as our bodies age, and as we interact with the world. We also know that change, in the Christian life, is desirable. In fact, it is God’s plan for us. He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5) and the old is dispensed with. We want to become more like Christ; we want to change. Second Corinthians 4:16says, “Inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” When we submit to God, good change happens. So how do we overcome our resistance to change?

We can lessen our resistance to change by keeping a divine perspective on life. You see character qualities are also fruits of the gospel. They describe our responses to other people’s actions, attitudes, and words Such as humility, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness.

God’s work of renewal in us is compared to that of a refiner’s fire (Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2; Isaiah 48:10; 1 Peter 1:7) and to a gardener’s pruning shears (John 15:2) The process of refining or pruning tends to be unpleasant, so we resist. But the outcome of a refiner’s fire is purified precious metal. The result of pruning is a more plentiful crop. If we trust that God is at work through changes and that His desire is to sanctify us, then we may more willingly submit. This perspective is what brought Job peace in Job 23:10. 

The one thing that never changes is that everything except God changes! Because God doesn’t change we can be at peace when everything else around us does. God works in our changes to move us forward, never backward. In every change we can be sure God is planning for our good, moving us closer to Him. In this way we can not only embrace change but also welcome it. Faith and greater obedience go hand in hand; we trust God’s promises, and He has promised to reward us accordingly with joy, peace, and comfort, intangible things that the world can never supply. 

God Bless You and This Ministry!