Several years ago, our church’s youth pastor felt led to leave his position at our church to begin another ministry. Then an older couple in the church led the teen ministry for several months—maybe a year or more.
When the church finally found a new youth pastor, but before he came, some of the teens were giving grateful testimony of the couple who had filled in. One girl spoke about how much she hated change.
I thought, “Oh, honey. You’re just starting out, and there is so much change ahead of you!” She would have been in for a rough time.
Some people thrive on change and variety, always looking for something new and exciting.
Others of us don’t mind changes every now and then. But we’re eager to get back to our comfortable routines.
Change is a part of life. Without change, we wouldn’t have:
- autumn leaves
- spring flowers
- butterflies
- babies
- growth
- sunrises and sunsets
- the change from law to grace
- salvation
- resurrection
- the progression from friendship to love
- . . .and so much more
We like those kinds of changes. We’re not thrilled about hard, unexpected disruptive changes.
So many people in the Bible had to face unexpected changes in their lives.
- David went from a shepherd to a king.
- Moses went from Pharaoh’s stepson to a shepherd to the leader of Israel from Egypt through the promised land.
- Gideon was quietly trying to make do in a country under rule of an enemy when God called him to be a leader and fight.
- Daniel was a young man when he was taken into captivity, away from family and country, and taken to Babylon.
- Mary thought she’d have a quiet life with Joseph, until an angel announced she would carry and bear the Messiah.
- Zachariah and Elizabeth probably thought their opportunity to have children was gone. But in their old age, an angel told Zachariah that he and Elizabeth would have John the Baptist.
- Paul’s Damascus Road experience had profound effects not only for himself, but also the first-century church and Bible readers today.
Change can be hard. Most of the changes these people faced were great upheavals to their lives.
But if God brings change, He also brings grace to handle it.
And some things will never change:
- God’s character
- God’s love
- God’s Word
- God’s truth
About thirteen years ago, we faced several big changes all at once. My husband’s company was moving us to a new state, which would involve new coworkers, a new city, new house, new neighborhood, and new church. My oldest moved to a different state, the first of my kids to move far away. We left behind my middle son and daughter-in-law. My youngest son came with us and had to navigate a new school, friends, and youth group.
During that time, a line from the hymn “Be Still My Soul” stood out to me: “Through every change, He faithful will remain.” That was a steadying truth through all the changes of that year.
Not too long ago, a line from “Abide With Me” came to mind: “Change and decay in all around I see. O thou who changest not, abide with me.”
The first verse of “Still, My Soul, Be Still” by the Gettys and Stuart Townend brings comfort in the face of change:
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 
Y E S !!!
If I’m honest, I hate change. Wife changes a recipe, I don’t eat. Feed mill changes the cattle cubes, I purchase elsewhere. “Don’t reinvent the wheel”, “Leave well enough alone.”, and the list goes on. No ma’am, I don’t much like change. Is it OCD? Probably. But I find great comfort in a static life. Yet, for as much as I want things in my life to remain the same, I recognize that a life without growth is not life, but stagnation. In my carnal human life, I must change and adapt to the world around me. I don’t necessarily like all the changes, like having to conceal carry everywhere I go to protect my loved ones from this world, but I love learning new things, new and better ways, and new ideas presented by others. If I’ve learned nothing else in this life, it’s that I know very little. In my spiritual life, which is most important to me, I pray for God to change me. To grow and groom me so that I begin to take on His Son’s character and the world can see Him through me. Yes. Change is hard, but it is also necessary. Just leave my meatloaf recipe alone, please. 🙂 God’s blessings in the coming year Ms. Barbara, and I pray you and Mr. Harper are starting to enjoy retirement.
I’m not an adventurous eater. The rest of my family is. I’m getting better. But I also like for my favorite dishes to be always the same. I have favorite entrees at restaurants that I tend to order every time. I like my routines. But life is always changing and dragging my heels only makes it worse. And I am thankful God’s grace and longsuffering changes us.
We’re actually having a rough start to 2024 and retirement: without hot water for 9 days due to the hot water heater dying, cellulitis in my leg, and now Covid. But it can only get better from here, right? I hope, anyway.
Oh My! Lifting you and hubby up in prayer Ms. Barbara.
God has shown me many ways to learn through change. Sometimes those changes have been stressful and heartbreaking. Other times, changes have led to happiness and joy. In all circumstances, God has proven that He never leaves. His plan is always best. 🙂
Amen! Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. But the better we know Him, the more we trust Him.
I don’t like change, and yet, change is a part of life. One I cannot avoid 🙂 I am most grateful that in every change, God is with us and helps us navigate the way in which He takes us.
Happy New Year, Barbara! May the year ahead hold many blessings for you and your family!
Thanks so much. Joanne. I wish the same for you and your family.
Thanks for sharing this, Barbara! It really encouraged me and I loved being reminded of those songs. I experienced a lot of change in my work situation in the second half of 2023, most of which wasn’t easy, and I know there is more change ahead in the coming months, so it was really good to be reminded of these truths.
Barbara it appears God has a theme going! I too posted on Change this week.
Blessings, Jennifer
Ah, I had not known that quote to be from Helen Keller! I saw it on a pin that a friend had and loved it.
Recently I’ve been thinking some about change, and how it seems harder as we get old. It seems like much of that is because change is happening all the time when we’re younger, so I guess we get accustomed to it. But once we get into a routine of life, eeek. Not so easy to change patterns that have developed over years. How wonderful to meditate on the fact that God never changes! I love the hymn lyrics you mentioned.
Change does seem harder as we get older. That’s probably the main reason. So many things are changing when we’re young, but as we get older, we settle into routines.
I didn’t mind change for the majority of my life. The many moves we made due to my husband’s job for the early part of our marriage helped with that. But as I’ve grown older, I’m finding I really do like for things to stay the same. It’s an area in my life that God has been dealing with and I appreciate all of the positive things that you have included in your post about change, Barbara.
Change brings to mind: If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Wayne Dyer
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 292. See you again next week!
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Oh boy, I don’t handle change well. I get anxious and I’m okay once I process it in my head. I’m okay with the changes you’ve mentioned above, but give me a loop of a downward change, illnesses, hardship or when my daily routine-ish-ness is foiled my insides are a mess until I can be still with God and process.
This was so timely for me to have read today. It was smooth for my soul.
Thanks bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month.
I hate it, but it can sometimes be so good.
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