CHANGE

I remember my first pastorate.  It was in a small town.  Correction:  A tiny town.  Let's try again:  A village...population 469.  They had a mayor they called "Boss Hog".  No one that I ever spoke to liked him.  So, how do you get to be mayor (an elected position) if no one likes you?  I found out the answer to my query...no one ran against him.

Well, finally someone did.  A young, well-known, well-liked guy from the community.  We would finally have a new mayor.  Results:  "Boss Hog" was reelected in a landslide.  How could this be?  No one liked him.  So, I asked.  The answer:  "At least we know what we don't like about "Boss Hog".  We don't know what we wouldn't like about the other guy".

Let me translate:  CHANGE IS TOUGH.

It doesn't matter what the situation, we're not wired for change.  We don't like our world disrupted.  We don't care to have anyone "move our cheese".  In many cases, we'd rather live with disfunction than risk the unknown variables of change.

Change challenges us.
Change is risky business.
Change ruffles feathers.
Change is uncomfortable.
Change is a little scary.
Change requires us to venture into the realm of the unknown.

But, for the committed Christ-follower, change is an absolute necessity...
It requires faith.  Without this it is impossible to please God.
It provides growth.  This is God's plan and desire for all His children.
It involves submission.  We have to yield to God's plan above our own.
It demands trust.  Change doesn't come with guarantees.  We have to trust ourselves and our God.

Change will never move into the category of FUN.  If it does, that's another issue.  But, it's part of God's plan for us and a necessary part of walking with our God.

The one thing that never changes is the fact that things always change!