I Hate Change!
“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
I love the quote by Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.” Change is necessary for growth, but change is often fearful, chaotic, and filled with a feeling of loss. I was discussing the role of the church several years ago with a group of about thirty participants. When talking about the future of the church, one person spoke up and said, “I dislike change!”
The entire world is constantly changing around us. People are born, others die. Job security feels like a thing of the past. Natural disasters scar the landscape. Challenges to our nation’s democracy are on display. We want it all to slow down, or even stop, so we can just catch up. So when everything keeps speeding by, we want our church to remain the same. But that, like everything else, is a sad fantasy.
Death is the only thing that doesn’t change. We cannot foolishly try to live in fantasyland. The best response we can make is to try to be a positive influence amid the change. Sticking our heads in the sand or screaming “stop” is simply childish. It calls us back to 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” The Apostle Paul isn’t trying to belittle our desire to stop change. It is just a reminder that we must move forward in a mature manner.
Today, ponder the change that makes you feel uncomfortable. What is it that creates the discomfort? How have you responded to these painful situations previously? Is the anxiety warranted, or misplaced? Addressing these issues helps view the change realistically. Once we see the change as practical, it is easier to view it without anxiety or discomfort. Then, offer the uncomfortable emotions to God, and allow the Spirit to guide your decision-making so that you can make the best of the inevitable change in our midst.
