Change

During Covid, my husband and I made a short documentary from photographs that we took around our town of Gettysburg, PA, which tells the sad, bitter-sweet truth that everything must change. In our video, the song “Everything Must Change,” by the great Nina Simone, plays along in the background.

You’ll notice, as captured at the end of our video, the Bible verse in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Ironically, isn’t it quite peculiar that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ will never change; he will and always has remained the same; however, everything on God’s green earth is ever changing! What a juxtaposition.

Seasons (winter, spring, summer & fall) are the most predominant witness to continual change. Also, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 points out that for everything there is a season. Weather constantly changes, the human body constantly changes – hormones, age related changes, moods, economy, music, fashion, cars, rules, regulations, laws, politics, etc. It is clearly an ever changing world.

Quite often, we find ourselves wanting to control the ‘change’ that we feel is needed in our lives, not only to live and survive, but for simple vain pleasures.

Again and again we get so wrapped up with our surroundings and treasures of this world, that if we are not happy with things as they are, or feel we don’t have what we want, or what we have isn’t enough… and so on, we take it upon ourselves to force and create our own change. What a heavy burden that is.

So to be clear, we have a God who never changes, yet he created things to constantly change. Hmm… And, unfortunately, all too often we feel responsible for the change wanted, or needed. Something is not right with that. It leaves a unexplainable void – a giant question mark. We’ve been reflecting on this paradox, and seem to always end up at the simple question “Why!?” Why do we feel we must take control? Why do we feel that if we do not control the situation, everything will fall apart, and that there are no other options? Perhaps we should start by looking at ourselves on the inside and surrender ourselves to the Christ who never changes. His promises held true then and do today. He performed miracles then, and still does today. Certainly, when Christ becomes the center of our lives and directs our thoughts, words, deeds, and steps, we then, by being obedient to him, are enabled to surrender full control. This allows God to do what he does best, and that is to lead us to our full destiny in which he so mercifully and graciously designed for us. We relinquish control, and God takes over.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Until next time…

May you find strength in God’s beauty, peace, and presence …beneath His sky.