CHANGE...NOT AGAIN

             Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.   Hebrews 13:8

Several years ago, I was preparing to speak at a ladies seminar.  The leadership of the seminar asked me to select a topic on anything I felt appropriate for ladies at that particular time.  A familiar buzz word of that day was "stress."   (By the way, that word is just as appropriate today as it was over 20 years ago.)

In preparation for this project, I found a paperback book in a Bible bookstore with the theme of  women dealing with stress.  In this book I found a list of what was considered to be the top 25 causes of stress among women.  Of course, the first few things listed were obviously the most serious such as death of a spouse, child, parent or close friend.  The further down the list one went, the less serious the factors.  I don't remember all of them nor their places on the list but I do remember some of them, in no special order such as:  financial crisis, severe illness, new baby, car accident, new job, menopause, loss of job, moving to another city, state or different house, wedding, divorce, empty nest, family problems, wayward child, starting a new business, abuse of any kind, child late for curfew and  the list went on.

There was no organization of topics with this list...it was just a general hodge-podge list.  However, as I went down the list,  I saw one thing that seemed to tie all of the stress-causing factors together.  That thing was:  CHANGE.  With every item on that list came some kind of change for people involved...some drastic, some minor, but CHANGE was blowing in the wind of their lives.

As I thought of such changes in my own life, I thought of how I reacted as opposed to responding  in one way or another and came up with the following acrostic:

C--conflicted  (feeling ready to fight)
H--heartache (hurting to the very depth of self, heart broken)
A--agitated (feelings constantly being stirred)
N--nerve shaking (nervous, edgy)
G--grieving (sad, sorrowful)
E--emotionally draining (tired, distracted, weepy, grouchy)

All of those things might not apply all at once, but they are feelings we may feel at times especially when negative changes are taking place.  Perhaps change doesn't affect you like the above traits, but changes in life can bring many types of emotional responses to the surface.  I hate moving...it yanks me around to my very core but I talked with a friend about 25 years ago who told me at church one morning that in her marriage of 27 years, she and her husband had moved 15 times, sometimes locally and at other times out of state.  She said, "I just love the smell and feel of U-Haul boxes."  If I hadn't known better, I would have said that she was nuts.

I have often thought of women in Scripture who had difficult moves to make, changes they never could have totally understood at the time.  What about Mrs. Abraham?  Her hubby came home one day and told her to pack up and fold the tent.  I'm sure she asked about location but Abraham couldn't have told her much.  He was simply going at God's command.  Then there was Mrs. Job.   She lost everything in one big swoop, and to top it off, her husband became very ill.  She probably went through every emotion possible but the last we hear from her for a time was when she asked Job, "Why don't you curse God and die."  Wow, that will carry a man through the hard times.  Remember Esther?  She was living with her cousin Mordecai, minding her own business.  The king had a beauty contest looking for a new queen and in a matter of weeks, she was IT.  She couldn't have known at the time that in God's plan, she would save her people.  Don't forget Mrs. Noah.  No U-Haul for her...she was going by boat.  She didn't know what an ark was or even rains/floods as we know them and at this point, what would have been our level of patience.   Oh yes, back to Mrs. Abraham....a baby when you're close to reaching the century point of life.   That would throw me more than most of the other ones mentioned.  I see young women today with their babies and toddlers and believe me, there isn't one jealous bone in my body.  Those ladies from Scripture who, by the way, were very real and breathing women who had major changes in their lives, and yet we now see God's purpose for each one.  God knows that changes brought about in our lives are also for purpose, blessing and perhaps to bring about the furtherance of the Gospel in some way we can't see at the time.

What might be some things that could help get us through times of change.  I am suggesting things strictly from a spiritual standpoint.  I know the world has it's own solutions to calm our anxious thoughts, but you and I have learned that it is God with the answers and thus, with the capability to get us through our changing times.

1.  Realize that in every change in your life, God never changes.  He is our "constant" that we can rely upon in all circumstances.  God's Word says in Malachi 3:6a:
 
                         " For I am the LORD, I change not..."

I don't know about you but I need someone to hang onto who DOES NOT change.  The Lord is my stability.  We recently moved to Tennessee.  Guess what?  He's here...yep, the Lord is in Tennessee.  He was in Arkansas as we traveled across that state.  He is wherever I am and, good new is that He isn't moody...He isn't up one day and down another.  He is steady and constant.  We all need someone in our lives like that and He's the only one I've met Who does not change.

2.  Realize that God is always with you in the middle of your changes.  Paul repeats a phrase in Hebrews 13:5 that God first said in Genesis.  There God said:

                        '' I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

I have always noticed the word "forsake" but I see anew that He also will NEVER leave me.  Both are promises we can claim at any time under any circumstances.  Friends and family can only do so much.  Our dear ones often cannot be present when we find ourselves in our greatest need.  There is just so much they can do....God is on duty 24/7.

3.  Maintain your spiritual habits.
This is a hard one for it's often during all of the negatives of change you might not feel like praying, reading your Bible, or being a person of praise.  It will be these things that strengthen and carry a Christian through the most difficult of times, especially during times of change.  Even if you feel like you are just going through motions, those motions will be more strengthening than you can believe.  Stay faithful to the following:

PRAYER --God hears no matter how weak and drained you feel.

                   Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer
                   and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
                   be made known unto God.
                   And the peace of God, which passeth all
                   understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
                   through Christ Jesus.
                                                     Philippians 4:6,7

PRAISE--This gets eyes off of self and circumstances onto the One who wants to turn your pain into His glory.  Paul encouraged the Ephesians (5:19):

                   Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
                   spiritual songs, singing and making melody  in
                   your heart to the Lord.

This admonition is appropriate for any circumstance in life whether positive or negative.

PSALMS--I use this word purely for the purpose of suggesting that you stay in Scripture even if it seems at the time not to be beneficial.  During difficult times, read in places like the Psalms for a time where you might receive a special peace and stability for the moment.  I love to turn to Psalm 91 and Psalm 27.  Stick with it...in fact, soak in God's Word every moment you can no matter the circumstances.

4.  Rest in the fact that God has a plan in the change He's allowing in your life.  Cling to promises from God's Word such as:

                            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.
                           Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and
                            pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
                           And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall
                           search for me with all your heart.
                                                                     Jeremiah 29:11-13

5.  Make God THE constant in your life...be fully committed to Him.
In today's world, there is so little we can count on.  The best of people in our lives will let us down even though they don't mean to.  Cling to the Lord for dear life.  Allow Him to be your best friend Who will always have your best interest at heart through every change or stressor you face.  Very often when in the middle of an emotional mess, it's very difficult to get a good spiritual grip on things.  Be committed on a day by day basis to be in full and right relationship with the Lord Who will never let you down and Who is the only security you and I have.
                         
                         Commit thy way unto the Lord;
                         trust also in Him, and He shall
                         bring it to pass.
                                             Psalm 37:5


Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me and for all of the ways you show that love.  I know things are going to come into my life I don't understand, things that usually bring changes that are uncomfortable.  Help me to rest in You and in Your plan for my life.  Help me to know how to accept changes that come but, allow You to teach and use me as You see fit.  Forgive me for not trusting in Your wisdom.  In it all, I do want to know You better.  I want every circumstance in my life to somehow bring glory to You as You work Your will and way in me.
In the precious name of your Son, Jesus............Amen