Daily Reading for Thursday, Jan. 31: Change

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1—8

The inevitability of change is evidenced all around us. Winter changes into spring. Night changes into day. Summer’s crop changes into autumn’s harvest. And yet, there is often a reluctance to walk in change. Change brings uncertainty; staying the same is safe, comfortable, and known. If we continue to do things the way we’ve always done them, we know exactly what to do and when to do it. The uncertainty is gone, and we are in complete control of the situation at hand. And that is precisely where God does not want us to be. If we can control our fate, our future, and our ministry, what do we need God for? God is interested and heavily invested in our growth process. Hebrews 5:12 states the expectation that believers should be growing and maturing. God is not interested in a perpetual nursery ministry, where all He is doing is taking care of the babies. Babies are wonderful, but they are considered to have a deficit if they fail to grow. It is inevitable that as we grow in wisdom, knowledge and experience, we will be changed. And this is as true for a culture and society as it is for an individual—for individuals ultimately make up a society. How we approach this inevitability speaks volumes for our trustworthiness for reaching the souls around us. If we bury our heads in the sand, not wanting anything to change, our effectiveness for reaching those around us vanishes. And we cannot be the people we were created to be, nor can we touch the people we were given to touch.