Just recently, I was reflecting on the changes that have taken place in society and the world since I was born in the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

When I grew up:

  • No refrigeration; we had an ice box.
  • No indoor toilet; we had an outhouse.
  • During WW2, we used cut-up newspaper as toilet paper.
  • No washer or clothes dryer; the clothes hung on a clothesline.
  • No phone and certainly no cell phones.
  • No television, and when we got one, it was black and white and had only three channels.
  • No car; we used buses and trains.
  • No dishwasher; dishes were all washed by hand.
  • No computers.
  • No cable TV or internet.
  • No online shopping like Amazon.
  • No shopping malls.

I could add a lot more. One thing to remember is that you generally never missed what you never had.

Now, society has changed, and the world is different today. Add to this the changes that have happened in our personal lives, such as:

  • The transition from school to a job or college.
  • Jobs and professions often change.
  • Marriage inevitably brings change.
  • Children likewise change everything.
  • Medical changes in our health and loss of loved ones.
  • Moving to a new location or neighborhood.
  • Upheavals in society and the world, including economic changes, war, and epidemics.
  • Weather-related issues such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or climate change.

And so we could go on. Life is full of change. It is part and parcel of our lives and is inevitable. Many people do not like change. As people grow older, they can become more fixed in their ways and resist change. Why? Because change can be challenging and uncomfortable.

FUTURE CHANGES

There are a lot of changes in the future, such as artificial intelligence, which could have a significant impact on society; climate change and government regulation; electronic currency, which is already beginning to happen (More on this later); globalization, which is the goal of some leaders in the world today. We again could go on.

THE CHURCH AND CHANGE

Often, people in the church, especially as they age, do not embrace change. You see this in the “worship wars.” Some do not want to change from hymns; they do not like contemporary Christian music. One of my favorite cartoons is that of a father pointing out to his son the scars on his arm. “See that,” the father says, “That was from the Battle of Guitars in the Sanctuary 1971.” I once changed the time of a Christmas Day service from 7:30 am to 8:00 am, and the wrath of certain people in the congregation came down hard on me. So, the church will continue to face issues regarding change as well. 

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CHANGE?

Recently, I read an article from Dr. Gary Chapman, author of “Five Love Languages,” that dealt with change. Here is part of this article.

  1. Accept the fact that everything changes-including you. No one stays the same forever. Our bodies change. Our interests change. Our preferences change. Our emotions change. Seasons change. Learning to accept the fact that change will occur helps to prepare your mind and heart for the moment it does. Fighting change only causes heartache. What would it look like in your life to embrace change rather than fight it?
  2. Appreciate what was. Often when change occurs, we experience a sense of loss or regret. Unfortunately, we tend to drown ourselves in those emotions in a way that doesn’t honor our past experiences. When we can find things we are grateful for in what was, we may find it much easier to close that chapter of our experience as we move forward. What about your past experience(s) can you appreciate or be grateful for?
  3. Anticipate what will be. On the other side of change is a whole new chapter waiting to be written. For example, parents can look forward to a different type of relationship with their adult child-one of friendship, freedom and possibly grandchildren. Sure they miss those times when their child was small and they could watch them explore the world with wonder, but now they can sit together over coffee and talk about life, love and joy. What can you anticipate on the other side of a change you are experiencing right now?

ASPECTS OF CHANGE

There are two aspects of change we should never forget:

  • The Promise-God Himself. Malachi 3 speaks about future events, and in verse six, God declares, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” We can depend on God, for He is faithful and trustworthy because He does not change.
  • The Process-Our Lives. Conversion includes change (justification), and our walk with Jesus involves constant change (sanctification). 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares, “But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This is a process that goes on throughout all of life, until it culminates in Heaven above. Heaven, where we will all be changed (I Corinthians 15:51 – 52).

Let us lay hold of the promise of a God who does not change and then yield to the changes He seeks to bring to our lives. 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Change is here to stay. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr.

In future issues of the Langstaff Letter, we will continue to look at changes in society, including its values, morals etc.