Change

I find it fascinating how people’s perspectives are forged by their circumstances.

Take CHANGE, for example. When a person’s life is predictable, comfortable and enjoyable they hope and pray nothing will ever change. And yet that same person, when riddled with disappointment, difficulty and despair, hopes and prays every day that EVERYTHING will change.

Well, I don’t know which side of the coin you are on as you read this, but the truth is it really doesn’t matter because change is coming whether we want it or not. Change is inevitable, and how we perceive it and embrace it can often mean the difference between life and death, or failing and succeeding.

Herbert Spencer once noted that, “A living thing is distinguished from a dead thing by the multiplicity of the CHANGES at any moment taking place in it.” In other words, CHANGE is the evidence of life. Growth is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

God solved the behavior riddle centuries ago when he said, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” See, you are what you think, not what you think you are. I’m not trying to confuse you in some maze of circular logic, I’m trying to reveal an incredible truth. IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR US TO BE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF MOVEMENT TOWARDS HIM. And that movement means change.

I used to fear failure, I didn’t think I did, I would have told you that I wasn’t afraid, but deep down as a young minister I think there were moments where I was more concerned with the appearance of fruitfulness and success than actually being fruitful. I think it is a journey many people have to take on the road to discovery and destiny. Unfortunately, some stall out and breakdown along the highway and never recover. Change always demands a temporary surrender of security, it is the letting go of something familiar and safe in order to embrace something hoped for and unknown.

I have noticed that every time I have changed, my oppurtunities have changed as well. This is a life pattern, when traditions are broken new oppurtunities always emerge. ALL PROGRESS IN THIS UNIVERSE HAS TAKEN PLACE ONLY BECAUSE SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE WASN’T SATISFIED TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. I want to be a dreamer and see visions of what can be and then run, leap and believe that all things are possible. I grow restless now when things aren’t changing now that I have embraced it as my friend and not my enemy.

The greatest promise of change in our life is that with it comes hope, and as long as hope lives we will always have strength to make it another mile. There is a scripture in Job 14 :7-9 that demonstrates the power of hope, it says, "There is hope for a tree, that even after it is cut down, simply at the scent of water it will bud and bear fruit again."

A study was done at Northwestern University several years ago that revealed some fascinating results concerning the power of hope. They took two lab mice and placed them in an aquarium of water. After 23 minutes they finally could tread water no more and drowned. They then took two more and placed them in the aquarium but this time, just before they were about to go under, they rescued them, placed them under heat lamps, fed them and let them rest. After they were well rested, they then placed them back in the aquarium with two other mice that had not been in before. The results? The two mice that had been previously rescued swam for 44 minutes, a full 21 minutes longer than the other mice. Why?...... HOPE! It was the hope that something good was coming. The belief that things were about to CHANGE!

The irony of all this is that the Bible says that God is immutable, or in other words, He does not change. But the reason why is because he is the only one who is truly complete. The rest of us are still under construction and as is in any construction project, as you add material all the different elements come together and a metamorphosis and a CHANGE occurs. What was once just a bare-bones structure becomes a beautiful piece of architecture.

So until next week remember, He who has started a great work in you will complete it in the end. (Philippians 1:6)

All for Christ,
J. Mark