Lamentations
How do you feel about change? You might respond by asking what form of this is being referred to – there are obviously many dimensions of change that we encounter in life, both personally, within ourselves, and externally. Maybe you have heard older members of your family bemoaning things that are different to how they used to be, or maybe celebrating the advances in science, healthcare or technology that have come about during their lifetime. We certainly live in an ever-developing world, whether for good or bad. Public discontent with changes is often featured in news broadcasts; topics such as objections to new wind farms or housing developments, or protests related to the use of hotels to house asylum-seekers. Perhaps we bemoan the cultural shifts in our society, or an increase in the level of anti-social behaviour, or crime generally.
Nostalgia
We might wish that things would stay the same, or even revert to how they used to be in our younger days. Several years ago, Jean and I made a trip to Isleworth, the suburb in West London where I spent my early childhood. I hadn’t been there since my youth, and so it was a nostalgic visit. I was very surprised at how little change there was in the area where I had lived. My first school had been rebuilt, which was no bad thing, but the broad path, Quaker Lane, that I used to take to school when five years old, was just as I remembered it, as was the concrete footbridge over the railway line that the path led up to. The house we had lived in was another matter; that had lost all of its character, being altered beyond recognition and certainly not for the better. The great tree at the opposite end of our terrace of houses had been felled, but the stump was still there as a reminder of what had been. Many things appeared exactly as I had remembered, but I recognise that my experience is probably quite unusual – lots of areas change much more dramatically over time.
Why resist
Many people resist change, and for a variety of reasons. We may want things to stay the same because we know how to cope with how they are. We might have great affection for our local area, get on well with our neighbours or delight in the isolation that our secluded location affords us. We may feel secure in the relationships that we already have, with family, friends or colleagues, such that we are not keen to reach out to people we don’t know. We may prefer to keep doing things the way we always have, rather than to adopt newer methods or ideas, or to use different ingredients, tools or resources. Keeping things the same might seem to be the safe option, but to do so is to swim against the tide. It might also entail resisting what God has for us, for our own well-being and also for the blessing of others.
Looking forward
I frequently state that our unchanging God is in the change business. He is dedicated to changing us, often bringing about changes in our circumstances that are quite intentional. Apart from what we can expect to experience now, there is a transformative change ahead for each of us when we pass from this life to the next. Some depict heaven as an idealised version of Earth as we know it, but I think that idea is naive. Heaven will surely be a radically new experience for us, not a revamped version of the same old, same old. The one consistency will be our relationship with God, but even that will be different because our experience now is limited, but then it will be complete (Ephesians 1:13,14; 1 Corinthians 13:12).
Fear
Worldly people often fear change, but those who walk with God have no reason to – surely we can trust him with our lives, our hopes, and in every circumstance that befalls us (Psalm 37:3-6). The world around us will change, sometimes due to the positive influence of good people and at other times, the opposite. But, in the midst of this, we hold onto the truth that we are God’s children and he will direct our paths if we trust him. Even the Old Testament character, Job, who endured dramatic changes in his circumstances, trusted God through the trauma that befell him and was eventually justified in doing so. We may think that the even greater abundance that God later provided was the return for his faithfulness, but that was but a token. Job’s experience became one of the major stories in scripture, and surely that is a far greater reward than mere riches! God can use any one of us if we trust him and have our hearts set on obedience and on fulfilling his purpose in and through our lives.
No Surprises
Nothing that changes will be a surprise to the God whom we worship. Change is an opportunity. It may provide scope for us to grow in our walk with God – to trust him in our uncertainty, in our frustration or disappointment; with the consequences of our mistakes or the failings of other people. Changing circumstances give us scope to develop and grow in our understanding, knowledge or skill, or simply to do things differently. However we feel about change, it is inevitable. The only thing that doesn’t change is God himself. Even our relationship with him should change over time, as we become better accustomed to walking with his Spirit, more familiar with the truths taught in his word, and more used to taking steps of faith at his prompting.
Caution
We need to be cautious about how we react to external changes, to ensure that we are led by the Holy Spirit when we respond. We are emotional beings who are often encumbered with baggage from our past. If we allow such conditioning to dictate how we deal with the challenges that changes bring, then we will respond from a fleshly motivation, not a spiritual one. Whatever may disturb our peace, frighten us, or undermine our security, let’s be those who listen to what the Spirit of God has to say before we allow ourselves to react according to our natural and worldly leanings.
“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever
sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8