Change

This is what I included on the Scott's Thoughts portion of the FUMC Artesia youth newsletter for the month of May.  Hope you enjoy!  My thoughts this month are centered on change.  Here at FUMC Artesia we are preparing for some major changes over the next couple of months and so the idea of change has been on my.  People all have different ideas about change!  Some people thrive on change, loving the new challenges and experiences that change brings in their lives.  Some people are happy to go with the flow of life and when change does happen they are good with it; and when nothing happens they are good with that too.  Still there are others who no matter what form change is in they are opposed to it, they like things the way they are and change just messes all of that up.   To be perfectly honest; I am not always the biggest fan of change.  I usually try to do everything in my power to avoid change.  Often in my attempts to try and avoid change my obedience to God has taken a back seat to what I think should happen.  In the last few months I have had to take a hard look at my attitude towards the changes in my life that haven’t been my idea.  This week God pressed this question on my heart, “Why are you only ok with change when you are the one who thought of it?”  It is a hard question to answer, but I have found the answer to be a fairly simple answer.  The answer is simply that I am a selfish and self centered person who desires complete control of all aspects of my life!  When I see change on the horizon that I have no control over, whether it is good or bad, my first and strongest reaction is to resist the change!  On the other hand when the change is my idea; I want everyone around me to be excited about it and jump on board with the change.  How selfish of me to always want my way!  How arrogant of me to think that it is only my ideas that are of value!  How foolish of me to think that God does not inspire others to be vessels of change for His Kingdom!  So, what do we do when change that is not our idea and we have no control over comes a knocking?  It is pretty evident that resistance to it is futile and running from it only delays our dealing with it.  We must face the changes in our lives knowing that God is a God we can trust our futures to.  We have to understand that things don’t always have to work just how we think they should.  We have to be willing to lay down the agendas of our lives and accept the fact that there is a God who is working out all things for the good of those who love Him!  So as we each approach change in our lives let us approach it anchored to Christ and the hope that He brings!

Anchored in Christ,

sg