In his 1978 song Everything Must Change, Benard Ighnar takes a look at change with a longing sadness as “the young become old and mysteries do unfold”. For those of us who are in ministry leadership, it is easy for us to lament the challenges we face when trying to motivate church attenders to embrace change. The reality is that this phenomenon is not isolated to church people, but is the large majority of society; this is why the largest group of innovation is late adopters (Gladwell, 2006). As a collective group, human beings do not enjoy the discomfort brought on by change, but change is a part of life, as well as a part of God’s design.
When God created Adam and Eve, he placed them in the Garden of Eden to care for things that are growing, or in a constant state of change (Gen. 1-2). Despite the fall of mankind and introduction of sin, God’s design for change has not disappeared but rather shifted to the change in the heart of his children.
When mankind understands change from God’s perspective, then change can be a welcomed part of life. Despite being fallen creatures, mankind is still made in the image of God and still have magnificent capabilities to probe the marvels of creation and human life (Fraser & Campolo, 1992). Mankind has the ability to apprehend truth and live in harmony of truth, embracing the change designed by God for his purposes. (Fraser & Compolo, 1992).
Change does not have to be feared, and when seen from the perspective of God, change in alignment with God’s plan is a source of a fulfilling life. When God’s people understand this reality, they will be the light of the world that God has called them to be.
References
Fraser, D. A., & Campolo, A. (1992). Sociology through the eyes of faith (1st ed). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Gladwell, M. (2006). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (1 edition). Little, Brown and Company.
Field Notes 