{"id":20694,"date":"2019-03-08T15:19:56","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T19:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=20694"},"modified":"2019-06-06T13:09:13","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T17:09:13","slug":"pastors-ponderings-embrace-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=20694","title":{"rendered":"Pastor’s Ponderings: Embrace Change!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Change: New school, new home, new job, new president, new pastor, new friends, new car.\u00a0 Unemployment, illness, death. Change is all around us in our lives; we can’t avoid change.\u00a0 Change brings fear.\u00a0 But do we really need to be afraid?\u00a0 How can we avoid the anxiety and fear that change brings?\u00a0 Can we even embrace change and grow because of it???
\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The following “Pastor’s Ponderings” from Pastor Jim appeared in our March newsletter…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Change is Inevitable…<\/span><\/h4>\n

Some 500 years before the birth of Jesus a Greek philosopher is credited as saying:
\n\u201cChange is the only constant in life.<\/span><\/strong>\u201d\u00a0 \"\"<\/p>\n

Heraclitus is correct.\u00a0 We can always count on change.\u00a0 If anyone reading this needs proof I would invite us to look in a mirror and then look at a picture of us from 10 years ago.\u00a0 Yes, change is a constant. I feel safe in saying that I don\u2019t think any of us still wear clothes that we wore in 1975, nor do we drive the same automobile we drove in 1980.\u00a0 As we enter the month of March we are reminded that winter will change into spring.\u00a0 Indeed, changes are constant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why Resist the Inevitable?<\/span><\/h4>\n

It is perplexing how it is so obvious that there is much fretting, fear, and resistance over change.\u00a0 Why resist the inevitable?\u00a0 For some, change can appear as a threat promoting fear, worry, and uncertainty.\u00a0 As we look at the world around us, there is much change taking place.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, sometimes change can be good.\u00a0 Changing an unhealthy lifestyle can result in better health. Changing jobs or professions can actually result in an increase in earning potential and a better life for our families. Changing how we think, treat, or speak to others can actually have positive effects upon others.\u00a0 There are so many examples of how change can be good, far too many to mention here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

God’s Still There, Even in the Midst of Change<\/span><\/h4>\n

May I submit that while we experience change in life, God does not change.\u00a0 Isn’t it good to know that while things change, life changes, circumstance changes, that our great God doesn\u2019t change?\u00a0 The witness of Scripture affirms this:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jeremiah is inown as the “weeping” prophet”, but he could exclaim (in Lamentations 3:22-23)…<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe Lord\u2019s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.\u00a0
\nThey are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The prophet Malachi records (in Malachi 3:6)…<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cFor I, the Lord, do not change;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

James 1:17 also reminds us…<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEvery good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above.\u00a0
\nThese gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fear Can Loose it’s Grip, even in the Midst of Change<\/span><\/h4>\n

With these great words of hope, why should we fear or resist change?\u00a0 Why not walk into the future trusting that God is holding the past, \"\"present, and future in the palm of His hands? The testimony of Scripture is that God\u2019s love for us, God\u2019s grace and mercy, never changes.\u00a0 God remains faithful and never changes His love for you and me.\u00a0 This word serves as an encouragement to all of us that as we all go through change, we can rest comfortably and patiently in the God who does not change.\u00a0 The hymn writer Thomas Chisolm wrote in his hymn about God,<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not.\u00a0 As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

So changes will continue to come, but we do not need to fear.\u00a0 God is faithful, does not change, and will always be abiding with us.\u00a0 We can walk into the future and live our lives with confidence and peace.<\/p>\n

+\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0 +<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more Pastor’s Pondering’s, click this button:\u00a0\u00a0 Pastor’s Ponderings<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Change is all around us in our lives; we can’t avoid change. Change brings fear. But do we really need to be afraid? How can we avoid the anxiety and fear that change brings? Can we even embrace change and grow because of it???<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[131],"tags":[70,144],"class_list":["post-20694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pastors-ponderings","tag-change","tag-godspresence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20694"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20703,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20694\/revisions\/20703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}