Friday, November 16, 2012

Is Change the Only Constant?

My frustration was reaching the breaking point last night as I searched through the fourth box trying to find the other spatula. You see we’re currently in the middle of moving and half the kitchen is already packed up. And of course what you need is always packed, and when you search for it, it's always in the last box!

It seems like we've been moving forever. We are buying a new home and refinancing our current one. To make matters more complicated, my wife's parents have health conditions and are in the process of moving with us into the new home. One of my daughters, her husband and my 18-month-old grandson have moved into our current home, so there are two sets of boxes surrounding us, and that only adds to the confusion.

Even though our current change is a good thing, it’s still unsettling. Last night I found myself thinking, “Is all this hassle really worth it?” We tend to like things to remain constant. We are comfortable with the known and familiar.

A good example of this is the present head coach dilemma facing the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Mike Brown was fired 2 weeks ago, and everyone was excited about the prospect of former coach Phil Jackson returning. But over the weekend the selection of Mike D'Antoni as head coach was announced, and that has Laker fans upset. Phil Jackson is familiar and highly successful, leading the Lakers to 5 NBA titles. Laker fans were comfortable with the idea of his return, and don't like the change.

I'm reminded of something my father used to tell me, “Change is the only constant.” As unsettling as change is, it keeps happening to us and we can't seem to avoid it or even slow it down. It can be a good thing like watching our children grow up, an unpleasant thing like watching ourselves age, or an expensive thing like trying to keep up with the latest technology. But one thing seems certain, change is inevitable, and sometimes it seems to happen so quickly that we find ourselves longing for something that's constant and unchanging.

But is change the only constant we can count on? Fortunately I know that it's not. Our Father God's presence and promises are eternal and unchanging. God is good and His goodness remains steady and constant. Psalm 136 tells us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” He promises us that no matter what changes we go through, He does not change, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Malachi 3:6, Joshua 1:5)

It's great to have the assurance that when everything around us seems to be shaking and uncertain, God's goodness remains. No matter how frustrated or overwhelmed we may feel when confronted with major changes, we can rely on His goodness to provide us with guidance, comfort and strength. We only need to invite Him to partner with us in our life.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Special guest speaker Randy Clark will speak on God's goodness and how to experience it in our lives every day, as we continue our series on “Grateful for the Goodness of God.”

Pastor Che

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