White Knuckles

One of the great challenges we face is the fact that the good we want to do, we don't do, and that evil that we don't want to do, we do. We know the right thing but often fail to follow through while the option to do what brings immediate satisfaction we tend to grab with both hands for fear it will slip away. We can certainly get better and improve as we mature in Christ, but this battle in our hearts will not stop until we are at home with God.

But I think there is another great challenge we face that seems to be at odds with the truth of what we know. And right now, I am in the middle of trying to reconcile this in my heart and mind.

I am nothing if not a creature of habit. I am resistant to change to the very end. I will white-knuckle grip anything that is familiar in an effort to stop what is unknown, unfamiliar, and appears to be scary. That said, I am being forced to accept a few changes I did not ask for and am currently struggling to welcome.

It should be said that the changes are proactively seeking to address a problem. The changes could infact make a large enough difference that some rather unpleasant circumstances can be avoided. However, because of the way they will impact my preferences, the struggle is very real.

As I was reading my Bible this morning, not coincidentally in Job, I realized one very startling fact: God never changes.

The thing is, regardless of how my circumstances might shift, God doesn't shift. Despite the fact that what is happening will cause me to alter my schedule and routine, God does not change. And even though it might feel scary and I am undeniably a bit afraid of the impact, I know that God is good.

We will probably all face some changes this year. Some might be welcomed from the outset and some, like mine, might appear to be unpleasant company. But perhaps instead of focusing on what is changing that is beyond our control, we can focus on what never changes, our faithful, loving Father in heaven that has a plan we can not see and a purpose that is for our good.