Managing Change

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 

Daniel 2:20-21

Change can make us uncomfortable and uncertain about the future. If we ignore change, we lose our opportunity to influence the process. If we embrace change, we treat it as a friend who wants to help, instead of a foe who wants to hurt us. The reality of change requires a Spirit-led response, not a naive dismissal. Change can manage us or we can manage change. 

In the same way we are confronted with change we find that Daniel experienced the radical transition of moving into a new country with its unique culture and demands of godlike loyalty to its king. Daniel was a person of prayer and principle, thus he would not worship anyone but his one and only sovereign King, the Lord God Almighty. He did not cower under the pressure to compromise his convictions. He managed change by rejecting expectations of political and religious expediency. He challenged the status quo by offering dietary options that yielded better outcomes. Managing change requires courage.

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

What change do you face that requires great faith? You may feel your body has betrayed you. Ask the Lord for wisdom in how to leverage these new physical limitations for His purposes. Work associates may have transferred, laid off, resigned or terminated. You are left carrying the load of their job responsibilities. By God’s grace be a team player. Do your best and trust the Lord with the rest. Be a problem solver, not a chronic complainer. Perhaps a relationship has gone rogue and you feel alone. Use this season as an opportunity for solitude with your Savior.

Managing change takes a magnitude of wisdom and discernment from your Heavenly Father.

Almighty God is unchanging. He is a rock of reassurance and stability. Just as the weather can be sunny one day and cloudy another, so life has its dramatic changes, curves, and turns. Therefore, we are wise to let life’s drama draw us closer to Christ. Our dependable Jesus wants us to go deeper with Him. He is especially near when we face the pressure to compromise our beliefs for the accommodation of an unjust authority. Prayerfully, we manage change so it doesn’t manage us.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).