Change
change. Change! CHANGE! I’m only 43 year’s old this year – next month, in fact – and I know it’s been said again and again by so many people – but in my entire life I don’t think things have changed so drastically and speedily as they have since Thursday 12th March – the day Ireland went into ‘stay-at-home’ mode. I would guess that you are probably in that same boat too, along with me. In fact, it seems that much of our world is.
My own personal belief is that the bible portrays an accurate picture of the history of our world. If this is indeed true, change is nothing new in our world. In fact, massive changes are nothing new! The bible seems to portray the world in constant change.
The first change is creation itself. God spoke and it was. From nothingness, to a perfect world. In seven days (Genesis 1-2). WOW! That is serious change!
Then comes the story of Genesis 3, where that perfect world is shattered. Suddenly, from perfection to brokenness. Broken relationships – everywhere. The trust between humanity and God; broken. The trust between people; broken. The relationship between humanity and the physical world; broken. Serious changes! As a result of this we find Adam & Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden and this brings death – for their own good, I might add!
Along with these massive changes comes God’s promise in Genesis 3:15 to send the Messiah who will bring even more change – this time restorative change. In the New Testament we find that this promised Messiah is Jesus – God with us (Matthew 1:23). God Himself has stepped down into the world, born in human form, to bring about all of this restorative change. Then, as the bible concludes, we find the ultimate change – evil eradicated, perfection restored (Revelation 21 & 22).
I’ve only mentioned a few of the seismic changes that the bible speaks of. I haven’t mentioned that the changes in culture, literacy, cosmic and scientific understanding etc, which have taken place over the course of 6,000+ years of the world’s history which the bible spans.
What astounds me, is that God has been there as the constant, throughout all of this change. Some of these changes he has initiated, others he has just watched happen. So, the good news for us is that Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, is very familiar with change. In fact, he dealt with the change of sin coming into the world by taking the repercussions upon himself to save humankind – you and me.
So, let us not underestimate God’s ability to lead us through all the changes of life. The God of the past and present is also the God of the future. And because God knows the future just as much as he knows the past; whereas we only react to change, God plans for the changes he sees coming!
God knows and understands that for you and I, we often experience hardship in change. Especially when those changes are like what we’ve experienced over the last few months. So, even though change may bring many challenges and sometimes even painful experiences for us, let us remember that for God, change is nothing new.
While change may at the heart of our lives at the moment, God’s desire for relationship with us does not change. And God’s desire is to walk with us through the changes of life; and if we allow him to do this – we can remember that we walk with the ultimate guru of change management.