It is so funny how people are so resistant to change. Now, I am certainly one of those people when it comes to certain areas in my life. I resist change, until I quit being stubborn and realize it is for my good! But, there are some things that I hold to dearly and would prefer not to have any change in my life, now, notice I said prefer.
Why is it that people do not like change? Why are we so scared of change? Why do we hate it? Why do we loathe it? Why do we fear it? Why do we dread it? Why do we dream of ways not to change? Why do we pray we do not have to change?
I wonder if it is because we have figured out that we will have to give up control.
God setup the world for change. He designed the world to change seasons, years, months, days, nights, time, etc. If God were not for change, why would He create the world with change in mind? Not only does our environment change, but WE change… our tastes change, our height changes, our weight changes (some for the good, some for the bad), our looks change, our hairstyles change, our desires change, etc. Not only do we change physically, mentally, and emotionally, but w also change spiritually! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
We must change! We must be willing to give up control, so that we can receive the new. We must be willing, even after receiving the new, to continue to change by growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ! Each day, we should be changing/growing in our relationship with Jesus. Even though it may be tough to change, we are better for it!
So, I guess, my question is: How can people be so against change if they are a follower of Jesus Christ?
Anyone got any thoughts?
September 26th, 2007 at 8:34 am
I wonder if a whole bunch of our fear of change comes from the fact that most of the time when we are claiming that we are followers of Jesus we are actually attempting to follow a system or structure that has been built around Jesus and not really following Jesus at all. When the disciples were following Jesus the only constants in their life were Jesus and change! Seems like that should be the case for us too… Just my thoughts:-)
September 26th, 2007 at 9:20 am
I think it may have a lot to do with comfort. It brings comfort when we (humans) can sit down and plan the rest of our lives out. When you know day after day what you’re life is going to be like. Change brings unknowns. And it’s like you said, is about having control.
So in response to your question I don’t believe it’s the “Christ Follower” attitude in us that resists change, it’s our human nature or therefore lack of “Christ Follower” attitude.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:18 am
believeing in the sovereignty of God… i know the times in my life where i have been to most resistent to change is when i neglect to surrender the fact that God is God and i am not.
September 27th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I think we resist change because we are unaware of the impacting potential that we have on the world. Ironically, we are afraid of our world changing, when we’re the ones who are changing it! I agree that it has to do with comfort and control, but God has given us untold ability to change the world FOR THE BETTER. I think the better question is, why can’t we believe in ourselves to have a profound change on the world round us? God believes in us!
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I wonder if it is because we have figured out that we will have to give up control.
I think this is absolutely the key - but I don’t know that most of us have even figured out the control angle. Sounds like you have.
Once we do, it is temporarily even scarier. But liberation and freedom are there once we can give up on the illusion of control.
GREAT post, brother!
June 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
We fear change because it takes us out of our comfort zone. You know? That place that we are familiar. We have to have faith to step-out.