How To Look At Changes

We all face changes in our lives. Some of these changes are welcomed, like graduating from school, getting our first (or a better) job, and marrying the person God has chosen for us. Other changes are not welcome at all, like failing at something we wanted to succeed at, having to alter what we do in response to challenging events we encounter, or suffering persecution for our faith. Changes are an inevitable part of what we experience as human beings; if you are alive then changes are coming your way, whether you want them to or not!

One of the many benefits of having a relationship with Christ is that changes are a good thing! We have relinquished control of our lives to the One Who knows the end from the beginning. He has undertaken the goal of transforming us into His image (no small task!), and has purposed that everything that happens in our lives will be used – somehow – to aid in that transformation. The Good News is that, as we submit to the lordship of Jesus, we can have faith that the changes we encounter are simple stepping stones on our path to becoming more like Jesus.

The Apostle Paul had some things to say about changes. We pay attention to what he said because if anyone knew about changes it would have been him! Even when things were happening in his life that he didn’t understand, he had confidence that the Lord was in control, actively using those situations and circumstances to mold Paul into becoming the person Christ wanted Him to be. Paul shared that truth with us when he wrote;

Rom 8:28-29

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Sometimes it’s difficult to see how God can ‘turn things around.’ What we see as failures and roadblocks, God uses to refine us. How does He do that? By leading us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The transformation God seeks in us comes through our willingness to follow the leading of the Spirit, trusting Him to remain faithful to His Word! We trust and follow Him, and He works things out. That process causes us to grow in our confidence and faith. It’s an ever-repeating cycle as we become more like Christ, because we learn to trust God completely – just like Jesus.

That process was demonstrated by Jesus. It began during His ministry in Israel and culminated with His death on the cross. Talk about a way to ‘turn things around!’ God took what seemed to be a total defeat and, by the submission of Christ to the Spirit, used that submission and trust to usher in our salvation. He snatched victory from the jaws of defeat!

Jesus is the firstborn of those who continue to follow the steps of faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit that He took. And, just like Jesus, the one thing we need to remember is that God is faithful. As we encounter changes in our lives (even the ‘bad’ ones), we have the assurance that our Father is at work in every circumstance.

Our faith in God is not supposed to be in what we see or experience, but in the One Who makes all things work together for our good.