Lately I’ve been working on a new perspective on change. Adjusting my attitude and thoughts around it. Because let’s face it, change is typically a fine thing if it’s what we are wanting, right? But it’s when it catches us off guard, we don’t see it coming, or worse yet we do see it and hope that it won’t happen – that’s when we resist it.
But what if we could cultivate a new perspective on change. A new reaction that came from a place of faith not fear. Fear responds with negativity and potential worse case scenarios. Faith responds with confidence and expectancy. I know which of those responses I want to work on having!
Change and Challenges
Interestingly enough, I rather think that second to God, one of the most constant things in life is change. We finally get to a point in work or at home or with the budget or training the children and something changes. Maybe you have to change jobs, fix a leak in the house, budget for a new expense, or navigate a new challenge of some sort. And that shifts everything in life. How do you respond to that change? Often I find them inconvenient and like I wasn’t looking for one more thing to figure out.
But lately, I’ve been reading and I am working on a new perspective. Norman Vincent Peale writes about trouble and problems – and somehow I think the topic of navigating change fits perfectly within these topics. He talks about how problems are made to be solved. How they are designed to strengthen us and how our creativity and faith in God are the perfect things to bring to these problems. It reminds me in Scripture how we are made to search out mysteries and directions. This seems to be one of the basic roles we fill. After all, didn’t Christ Himself instruct us to “Ask, Seek, Knock“?
Norman Vincent Peale goes on to speculate that those with more challenges are especially blessed by God because this is a way God shows His trust in us. The man who has no problems to search out and solve doesn’t have special assignments from God. So if you feel you have a distance from God, you should ask Him to give you work – which likely will come in the form of change and challenges. And then stand strong, confident He will help you grow and navigate them in a way that honors Him!
No Fear of the Future
Remember how the virtuous woman in Proverbs laughs without fear of the future? That wasn’t because she didn’t have a lot going on. Simply reading that chapter helps inspire us to be productive and an asset to those in our lives. Do you think perhaps she was able to laugh without fear of the future because she had discovered that amidst any changes if she kept her eyes on God, everything was for her good?
Now just pause and consider what we might accomplish and what peace might we experience if we could really believe that ourselves? I really think it is accurate. The Bible itself says, All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. All things. Not some things or even most things – every single thing. What if we could lose our doubts and really believe it? I think we would see unbelievable things unfold!
Remember how Scripture says, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor mind imagined what God has waiting for those who love Him? If we would stay in faith, not rocked by a very reality of life (change), imagine what all we might accomplish for God!
A New Perspective
So how can we implement a new perspective on change? First and foremost, omit the worry. Don’t give it the time of day or a second thought. Pray for God to give you wisdom and clarity, and then act as if they are on the way. God is never a second late nor a moment early, so exercise and strengthen your confidence in Him. When the time is right, the Lord will show you the answer.
In real life, sometimes this can feel as if I’m unprepared or even perhaps flippant towards things. But the truth of the matter is, many times I don’t need an answer until so much closer to the actual moment of said thing happening.
For instance, I was interviewing to hire a manager the other day. If it worked out, I’d need to completely rearrange the employees schedule. But if it didn’t, I’d need to start back at square one looking to find, train, and hire a different person. Instead of worrying about either of those instances and not having the answers, I took a wait and see mentality. One step at a time. Ends up the hire didn’t go through, so I was grateful for not having stressed about the schedule and shaking things up for all the employees.
And that brings me back to discovering a new perspective on change. I think change can seem so extreme and revolutionary, when in fact it is often accomplished in baby steps. Baby steps to working on our attitude, baby steps to making important changes, baby steps to where God needs our time and attention next. Let’s work to see it as exciting growth not negative interference. Things will always be changing … and let’s let our attitude towards change be the next thing to change!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2023/01/11/a-change-for-the-better/