Last week I started a series about Change. It goes hand in hand with a series of sermons that I’ll be preaching on about change. I mentioned that change isn’t always easy, but nonetheless it happens. Some changes bring pain or uncomfortableness with our new situation. But all change isn’t bad. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Just as we love to see the leaves change color in the fall, we know winter and the dormant season are necessary to prepare our world for a rich spring season that will lead to summer and fall where the fruit and vegetables are harvested.
Some changes are welcomed. I remember as a child my parents were getting ready to trade in our family car, a pretty blue Galaxy 500. We were sad about it because it was a good car. But then when it was traded in for a station wagon, I couldn’t believe all the space we now had. My wife drove around in an old 1976 Ford LTD for many years and took our children to school in it. I don’t know if it burned more oil or leaked more oil, but it was paid for and that was what we could afford. Our mechanic referred to it as our “Land Yacht” and we kind of felt like we were docking it when we parked it. When we dropped our children off for school, they would hide on the floor of the car so they wouldn’t be seen by their friends. When we finally traded that car in for a brand new 2005 red mustang, nobody seemed to mind. As a matter of fact, my children loved being seen in that car and later on enjoyed driving it. That was a change they liked.
You see, some things are old and worn out and need to be replaced. A person who needs a knee replacement is usually motivated by the pain in their knee that leads them to seek out a doctor and consequently the surgery. The pain of car repair bills and our cars leaving us stranded lead us to invest in a new, and we hope, better, car. Sometimes, we need a little pain to help us welcome in change.
In our world, some change is welcome and needed. The question is, are you ready for it. In a few months we will vote for a new president. It will bring change. Some of you may like the change and some of you might not. That change will undoubtedly affect your personal finances and security. It will affect our relationship with other nations and bring more peace or conflict. Whoever gets elected, remember to pray for him or her. For some the change may bring pain, but hopefully it will draw us all closer to the Lord. As God draws us closer to Himself, may this be a good change that renews your spirit and relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember, He loves you. He always has and He always will and that will never Change. So, whatever you are facing, go through it with Jesus. Change will come in life, but if you go through it with Christ you’ll come through it better and not bitter. Remember again, God loves you!
Your Friend in Christ,
Pastor Steve VanAmburg
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