We have been listening to Christmas music since late October. While I haven’t tired of the music itself, I have noticed the excitement that first accompanied those joyful melodies, has begun to wane. A spirit of reflection has replaced the excitement, bringing many happy memories to mind. These memories however, eventually lead me back to reality. Life is changing all around me, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
Families growing and spreading out, are natural reasons for shifting traditions and dynamics. Declining health, battling cancer, financial struggles, troubled marriages, and the death of loved ones, are also causes for change.
So, how do you cope when your world is changing? Here’s what I have personally learned:
Trust God with Change – When we feel that our lives are beyond our control, we tend to become fearful and anxious. Our comfort zones are shaken, and we feel insecure. Don’t forget that God has a plan, and is allowing change in your life for a reason. Although change may be difficult, you can trust Him to use it for good in your life. Stop fighting change, and trust God!
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Rejoice in Change – Rejoicing through difficulty reveals hope and peace in the believer. Someday, God will wipe away all our tears. Someday, we will all gather around a table, furnished with the best food we can imagine, and dine with The Father. Someday, there will be no more pain, sorrow, or death! This hope we have for our future can give us peace for the change we must endure today! If you are not sure where your hope lies, please check out this page titled, There is Hope!
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13
Give during Change – Giving when it is hardest to do so, results in the biggest kind of blessings! When we are busy serving others, we don’t have a lot of time to dwell on the sorrows of change. Give your time to your family and friends. Show kindness and thoughtfulness to your neighbors and co-workers. Continue on in your service to the ministries at church. Extending generosity when you are in the midst of your own struggles, can help change someone else’s life – for good!
“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” – 2 Corinthians 8:2
God NEVER Changes – When my life begins to feel unstable because of the changes going on around me, I find peace in this one thought: my God NEVER changes! Different trials has brought me either further away or closer to God, but HE has never changed His postion. His voice still sounds the same, His Word still reads the same, and His comfort still feels the same. My God, who is also my Friend that never fails, will always be there for me! I don’t ever have to doubt if He will answer when I call. He will be the same God to me when I am ninety-five, that He was to me when I was 25!
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”. – Hebrews 13:8
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17
“For I am the LORD, I change not…” – Malachi 3:6
If you are struggling with change in this busy holiday season, don’t be downhearted. Trust God with your change, and allow Him to work for your own good! Once you do, you will find it easy to rejoice, even when your heart is sad. Rejoicing makes for a generous spirit, and giving when it’s hardest is a gift that can change lives! And don’t forget – God never has, and never will change!
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