Monday, October 5, 2020 Some material taken from Roll With It by Keith Warren
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:1-4
Roll With It
Abram had been called by God to move - away from his relatives, away from his father’s house, away from his country. God told him to pack up everything and go, and He would tell him where he was going later. Talk about change! Some of the hardest changes we go through in life involve leaving our comfortable lives and going where God says to go. Sometimes we are not willing to do what He calls us to do because we don’t want to give up what we have, even to get His blessing. We want Him to bless us, but we aren’t always willing to do what is asked of us to get that blessing if change is involved, and it almost always is.
Change is a part of life and we have the choice of fighting it or accepting it. It is often the path to God’s blessing. We avoid it at all costs because we are comfortable, yet without it, we cannot get to all that God has planned for us. We want the benefits of change without the sacrifice and work.
In his sermon yesterday, Keith mentioned three reasons why accepting change is a better choice:
- Failing to accept change can make us bitter.
Some changes are hard to swallow, especially when it is change that is imposed upon us due to someone else’s choices. This can really make us feel bitterness. We can even feel we are justified to become bitter over what has happened “to us.” But bitterness never solves anything. It causes us to blame others for what has happened and to become helpless to do anything to make our situations better. It takes our power away makes us feel hopeless. - We deal with change best, by choosing it.
Choosing to accept change, changes our perspective. When we own the choice to accept change, we have the power to make the choice to adapt. We make the decision to not be bitter and defeated, but to make the best of the situation. When we feel like we have ownership in what is happening in our lives, we don’t feel so powerless and hopeless over our circumstances. - Finally, vision requires change.
No one ever proposed a glorious vison of what already was! Vision is a picture of a preferred future. By definition, different, than the present. If we are to be people of vision, then we have to get comfortable with change. I have more than one vision of what my preferred future looks like! We cannot have a better life without change. We cannot get healthier without change. Becoming better is a transformation process and the definition of transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. We may not think it is for our good when change comes, but if we seek the Lord and His purpose, we can find the good He has for us. We must open our hearts and be accepting to His purpose and vision for us during this time, because He never wastes anything. Even if we feel the change is unfair, somewhere in the process there is purpose for us.
Abram made the choice to accept this tremendous change, not only for himself, but for his family. It wasn’t easy for them, but it was worth it. God did make him into a great nation. His story has been a blessing and testament to others over the ages.
What is He calling you to do? Will you fight it or accept the change you need in your life to get to the abundant life He has planned for you? Don't fight it. Choose it. Embrace change when it comes, and find the purpose God has for you in this change.
