Change

We long for it, we pray for it, and we dream about it, and at the same time we fear it, fight against it, and try to run from it. We impatiently wait for it, but often run from it when it arrives. I am, of course, talking about change. There is an old saying I have often quoted about the church; “There are only two things we hate – The way things are and change!” That is not only often true about the church, but also true about people in general. We are often dissatisfied with the status quo, but we don’t like the stress of change, even though that is a normal part of life.

I am personally in one of those major times of change in my life. I retired as pastor of Lockport Church as of April 1^st, a position I had held for 38 years. At the same time my wonderful marriage of over 52 years came to an end through the death of my wife, Christy. As we know from reading Ecclesiastes chapter three as well as just our observation, life has its seasons. Change is inevitable. The question is, how do we deal with it? That text and others give us instruction that is important to be able to navigate life. Might I suggest a few of those here.

• Live in the present. We read in verse 11 that God “made everything beautiful in it’s time.” Each stage of life has it’s challenges and it’s blessings. Some miss the blessings because they are always looking ahead or looking back, longing for the good old days. It is right to anticipate the future and to rejoice in the blessings of the past, but we need to live in the present.
• Practice contentment. Paul was thinking primarily about finances when he wrote Timothy and said, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, …But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Tim. 6:6-8 ESV)” Ambition can be a very good thing, but we need to thank God for what we have and enjoy what he has given us.
• Connect to the eternal. We read back in Ecclesiastes  that God “has set eternity in man’s heart.” We handle the constant change of life much better when we know the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is always constant in our lives and promises to always be with those who put their trust in Him. In the changes of life, he works to shape us into what we will be for all eternity. He is often in scripture and in song described as rock – one who is solid, stable, and never changing.

My life is changing, and so is yours. Trust in the one who offers you hope and stability in this world and in the next by putting your faith in His son, our Lord Jesus.

In Christ,

Pastor Nord Zootman