Change

A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus once said, “There is nothing permanent except change.” We see this all around us, because the pace of change is faster and more pervasive; not one area of our lives is not constantly being renegotiated.

Change never asks permission! I was talking with our son David, who is in school in Kansas City, Missouri. He had fallen sick because the weather had soared up to a toasty 80 degrees, then it was snowing a few days later, and then back to 80 degrees or more. It wasn’t the specific conditions of the day that made David and a whole wave of his friends come down with colds, it was the abrupt change from one season to the next, and back again!

Change is hard and rapid change is harder. But what are our alternatives? When change stops, life is over. The good news is that God stands outside of change. He is involved in every part of creation, perfect in His sovereign power over the great and the small events of our lives, yet without being changed. And when we feel overwhelmed, we can rely on Him, always. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (CSB) Whether old or young, when we surrender our lives to Jesus in faith and repent of our sins and follow His way for our lives, we undergo the one change that fixes our path for eternity! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB) And what God makes new through Jesus will never change!

One writer (John Maxwell) says this: Change is inevitable. Growth is optional! We can grow each moment that God gives us, when we look to God’s grace every day, and His aloha that we give and receive from each other in the church. And when change gets tough, we can remind each other of this:

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (CSB)

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor