Nature is in
transition. A couple of weeks ago it was summer-like. This week we saw frost
for the first time. Each day we start and end with cold, but experience temps
in the 60’s by mid-afternoon. This is frustrating when planning one’s wardrobe
for the day, but it’s a good life reminder, omen, if you will.
Life is not
intended to be static. Change is a sign of growth and health. As I look out my
window, it appears that the natural world is dying before my eyes. The trees
have lost their leaves. The grass is brittle and brown. The flowers have faded.
The color is gone. God created this time of dormancy to allow the transition
needed to bring life back in a fresh beautiful way in the spring. Yes, some of
those things have died, but most are just going through a season of rest. Too,
pruning has taken place in the neighborhood. This, too, is necessary for new
growth.
So, why are
we so fearful of change in our lives? As part of God’s creation, we too need
change to grow and maintain health. Our
culture is fluid, so to remain relevant, we too must alter our way of thinking
and maneuvering in some uncharted waters of life. This is true for us
personally, but it is also true for business and for our churches. We must
remember, God said, in Eccl. 3:1, “To everything there is a season, and time to
every purpose under the heaven.” God prepared us for the reality of change, and I
think, by implication, the blessings and challenges that come with each. So,
why does it seem that churches struggle with this Biblical concept more than
the world does? Perhaps, it is because we search for something that is stable
in life. Christ is secure. He is stable, but that does not mean that the church
will be or should be static. We must relate to an ever-changing world. Jesus met
the needs of the people of His day. He calls us to do the same. While relying
on the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we still must
communicate Him to each new generation with their particular needs and world
view. Thereby, we must be willing to set aside our preferences in order to
accommodate changing methodologies for a changing world.
Am I
required to like change? No, but I must realize that I found Christ in a church
that was willing to adjust for my generation’s altered view. As one who is now
a mature believer, I am willing to adapt to a new way of doing things in order
to reach a young generation needing salvation as much as I did.
When I look
in the mirror each morning only to observe a new wrinkle around the eyes or a
little less firmness in the jaw, I mourn the face that looked back at me 20
years ago. It’s a fleeting thought, however, because I remember God’s words,
and I am heartened by the realization that it’s a new season in life. There’s
new purpose. As in nature, the changes I see may signal a resting period or a
life soon to end. However, that too will just be a change. Ecclesiastes 3 goes
on to say, “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted.” I will eventually die to the earth only to
experience a new season that I will welcome in every way, because I will be in
the presence of my Savior.
In the
meantime, I look out my window and see the fading beauty that was autumn, but I
am cheered by the knowledge that new life, fresh beauty will blossom from this
necessary transition, this new season of life.
