Throughout the story of humanity, we have had a love/hate relationship with change. Sometimes we love change, and then sometimes we avoid it like the black plague. I was having a conversation with a pastor this morning who is one the cusp of some big and wonderful changes in his ministry, but with these changes there always comes issues. It seems this way every time I see a church in transition. This conversation made me wonder, why? What is it about change that sends some of us over the edge? Look at what happens when Jesus is talking to a young, rich ruler:
18One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?" 19-20Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother." 21He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember." 22When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me." 23This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.
Luke 18:18-23 (The Message)
I know that when we hear this story, we often think about materialism. While that lesson is evident here, I think there's more. Jesus was asking the young man to change. He wanted to bring him to the next level, and the guy declines. Why? I mean you have God saying come with me and you'll live forever, and he says "thanks but no thanks." I think that more than materialism this guy was afraid of change. I don't think he didn't want to let his things go. Instead I think he feared the changes that would come if he did. I don't think any of us are really that different. I think that if we think about why the young ruler resisted change so much, we can really find some lessons that would ring true for us.
Well, I don't consider myself to be particularly wise or anything, but here's what I perceive as the main reasons this young man and most people avoid change:
1. FEAR
We fear change. I'm sure most people would say that's the primary reason we resist change. What is that we're afraid of? Personally I don't think we fear the changes themselves, but we fear what we will have to change. This is especially true in churches. We get comfortable. When churches evolve, it's not really for a bigger building or more programs. I believe God brings change not only to help us be more effective in our communities, but to challenge believers. God doesn't want us comfortable, he wants us to be constantly growing into the best followers that we can be. The young ruler was probably afraid to leave all of his things behind. Like many of us he wanted to follow God. He wanted to go deeper, but Jesus challenged him on a deep level to trust God with everything. This call to change likely caused a great deal of anxiety. He probably thought "Well, I want to take it to the next level, but it looks very risky. What if this Jesus thing doesn't work out and I'm left broke?" How often do those same fears sweep through our minds when God is urging us to take things up a notch?
2. PRIDE
Pride is such a difficult thing to struggle with. So often when God brings changes to us, he has to put our pride in check. When we become too comfortable in our positions in the church, it brings a level of pride. "This is my job". We like what we are doing and that's all there is to it. Then when a church grows and changes, so do our roles. There's a sacrifice that has to take place. We are giving up a title or a responsibility or maybe even some income. To get in line with what God is doing requires us to lay down our pride, so we can let God call the shots. The most dramatic changes usually include a full dependency on God for survival. This is the position our young ruler was put in. Imagine how this guy was perceived in the community. He was young, successful, rich, and probably well respected. I'm sure he took a lot of pride in his accomplishments. Then Jesus wants him to give it all up, his title, his wealth, and his status. It would have taken a huge measure of humility to intentionally go from a rich, successful, leader to a penniless, homeless, follower of Jesus (who to many was just a crazy guy). I've heard people talk about this parable as if they are looking down on the young man, but I wonder how many of us would be able to make that choice?
Fear and pride come from Satan, it's just that simple. When we feel ourselves resisting change, we need to stop and ask, why? What is the problem here? Am I really opposed to the ideas being put forth or is there something else going on?
And for those of you who are like me, and embrace change more easily; ask yourself, "How can I bear the burdens of those struggling with change around me?". Those of us who gravitate toward change, often don't pay attention to the thoughts and feeling of other around us who are having a harder time. Look around you and find those people and try to understand their point of view. Talk with them, pray with them, let God bring everyone into one accord. If you take the time to let God bring everyone together, things will flow much more smoothly.
What do you think? How do you handle change?
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