“Change”
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a
new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
I have a little bit of a challenge for you today. I would like you to go ahead and pull out a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. I would like you to write your full name 2 or 3 times.
Alright, now I want you to go ahead and switch the pen or pencil to your other hand and write your name 5 times.
So, how did it go? Was it very successful? But more important, how did it feel? Did it feel awkward? Uncomfortable? Slow? Did it make you feel like you wanted to stop reading this newsletter article? Hopefully not.
I once heard it put this way, “If it isn’t uncomfortable, it probably isn’t change.” Change always feels awkward at first but we always start to get better at it the more we practice. Many changes, however, aren’t like the activity above in which the request to switch your writing hand might seem a bit arbitrary, and pointlessly difficult. The vast majority of intentional change, however, is meant to move us to a better place or in a better direction. Change is often intended for our good, but many of us see change as something bad. We get into our rhythms and routines, and we don’t like to stray. But God is often wanting us to step out of our routines for the very sake of our growth and our good. Growth requires change. Whether it be physical or spiritual growth, change is the natural reality. After all, as John Maxwell once said, "If we are growing, we are always going to be outside of our comfort zone." And so, I ask you today, “Where is God inviting you to grow? Where is God inviting you to change? Where is God inviting you to step out of your comfort zone?”
He is not looking for pointless, arbitrary, or random change. He is not looking to make you suffer through it. Instead, he means it for your good and for the good of others. He is looking at how he is changing and shaping you through the power of the Gospel, the only source of lasting change. The question is this, “Are we willing to be uncomfortable?” May God bless you this week as you ponder these questions, as we commend ourselves to our Heavenly Father, to whom we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done… Amen.”
God’s Peace,
Pastor Kurt Ebert
