Change Inside and Out
By: Scott Tolhurst
Change by its very nature is an exchange of give-and-take. The changes of geography, calendar, family, or friendships all bring something to gain and something to lose. If there is no plus or minus, then there is no change; life remains the same. And of course it never does! With my permission or without, change occurs constantly. Since change always carries a ledger measuring credits or debits, we resist and avoid the transitions. Obviously, we don't mind the gains - a bigger house, higher income, enlarging the family by marriage or birth. We embrace the additions. It’s the subtraction we shun. Instinctively we recognize that change will take something from us. That is most evident in the changes of aging.
My body experiences change through the decades. I gain pounds and wrinkles. I lose follicles and flexibility. I look at my grandchildren and remember running on an endless reservoir of energy. The flip of calendar months do not offer my body many credits in the aging ledger. It looks like debits from here on. We resist and pull in a tug-of-war with time. But our attempt to stay the same cannot be held. Change wins.
Lest you be discouraged remember, there are gains in change. Listen to God via Paul’s quill, “so we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).The trajectory of time’s impact on my body and soul, point in opposite directions. Our bodies waste but our souls are renewed daily. So do not lose heart. Do not fear the transitions of time. Our bodies are diminished to the point of death, but the daily nourishment of grace to our souls overshadows that loss. Life has the final word: not death. Our lives are headed to glory.
How does this truth equip me to navigate the gains and losses of change in my life? Sickness. Aging. Injury. Death. Here is a trio of truths to lend song in the midst of change. We will need all three to achieve harmony.
Recognize that God is always at work for you. Change does not catch God off guard. In fact, He employs the changes of life to shape my soul. It’s one of His favourite tools. Looking beneath the surface of change will reveal God at work.
Be assured by the generosity of God. Here is an unshakable fact: God does not take. He gives. Even temporary losses are building blocks for something good added to our living.
Live in the hope of the end of change. Change is a factor of time. We are headed to an eternal destiny where time ends and so does change. Perfection will not permit gains or losses. The body, which has suffered so much weakness, will be raised to incorruption. Our souls, shaped by daily renewal, will be perfected beyond the effect of change. God will end change and all will be well.