A Firm Foundation Allows For Healthy Change
“They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.”
We live in a complex and conflicted world. The only way to make sense of it all and keep our sanity is to put our beliefs in a box so that we can make sense of our world. So, trying to change someone else’s mind is incredibly difficult, because it feels like it upends their entire worldview. So, what makes us think that one conversation, or one political commercial, or one Bible quote, will fundamentally change someone’s mind?
This is hard for a pastor to accept. Pastors get up each week and preach a gospel message that we throw ourselves into. We give ourselves intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally to others in an attempt to offer God to those listening. The reality is that actually changing someone’s mind with a single sermon is rare and can be disheartening.
Thomas Oppong, in his article, “Motivated Reasoning: Why It’s Hard to Change Your Mind,” points out, “that ‘motivated reasoning’ is to blame-and we’re all guilty of it. It’s difficult to persuade people with strong beliefs, values, or ideologies.” The more we learn and grow, the harder it can be to reopen decisions already made. It can feel like opening Pandora’s box, not knowing how one change could affect all the other ideas we hold as truth. No wonder it is unusual for someone to change their political party affiliation.
We are also just as susceptible to resisting change as anyone else. It takes courage to face change. It can feel like the floor has fallen out from under us. We can be open to change without fearing we’ll lose our values or our faith by affirming a few foundational beliefs. For me, everything else is negotiable, but Jesus will always be the Messiah. The Church is the “Body of Christ.” We are called to affirm and share the life-giving message of God through Jesus Christ. Just about everything else can be open to a change of mind. We can consider change without fear, as long as those basic foundations are sacrosanct. Consider the foundations in your life. Change just might be easier if we follow the old hymn and have a “Firm Foundation.”
