Managing Change

by Boyd Bailey
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Are you facing a change that requires great faith? Remember that Almighty God is unchanging; He is your rock of reassurance and stability.
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Daniel 2:20-21).

Change can make me uncomfortable and uncertain about the future. If I ignore change, I lose my opportunity to influence the process. If I embrace change, I treat it as a friend who wants to help, instead of a foe who wants to hurt me. The reality of change requires a Spirit-led response, not a naive dismissal. Change can manage me or I can manage change. In the same way, I learn to adjust to my body’s ongoing issues so I grow in how to make the best of life’s ever evolving events.

Daniel experienced the radical transition of moving into a new country with its unique culture and demands of god like loyalty to its king. Daniel was a person of prayer and principle, thus he would not worship anyone but his one and only sovereign King, the Lord God Almighty. He did not cower under the pressure to compromise his deeply held convictions. He managed change by rejecting expectations of political and religious expediency. Conversely, he challenged the status quo by offering dietary options that yielded better outcomes. Managing change requires courage.

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

What change do you face that requires great faith? You may feel your body has betrayed you. Ask the Lord for wisdom in how to leverage these new physical limitations for His purposes. Work associates may have transferred or been terminated. You are left carrying the load of their job responsibilities. By God’s grace be a team player. Do your best and trust the Lord with the rest. Be a problem solver, not a chronic complainer. Perhaps a relationship has gone rogue and you feel alone. Use this season of singleness as an opportunity for solitude with your Savior. Managing change takes a magnitude of wisdom and discernment from your heavenly Father.

Almighty God is unchanging. He is a rock of reassurance and stability. Like the weather can be sunny one day and cloudy another, so life has its dramatic occurrences. Therefore, we are wise to let life’s drama draw us closer to Christ. Our dependable Jesus wants us to go deeper with Him. He is especially near when we face the pressure to compromise our beliefs for the accommodation of an unjust authority. Prayerfully, we manage change so it doesn’t manage us.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Related Readings: Psalm 15:4, 55:19; Daniel 6:17; Matthew 18:3; Acts 6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52