But for some of us, dealing with change is not a simple matter. Author / pastor Rick Warren states it this way: "We can't grow without change. We can't change without letting go. We can't let go without some loss, and that brings grief."
Recently, I walked out onto my back porch, and Jeremy was there working on repainting his bicycle. He looked up at me, and just blurted out, "You know what Mark? Change sucks! I hate change!" I asked him why, and it had to do with the fact that there were things changing at work. He has been working at his job for six months, finally gotten into a comfortable routine, and boom, certain things he's always known in the job has changed. It drives him crazy.
Back when I worked for JPMorgan Chase, I could definitely identify with Jeremy's frustrations at his job. Just when I would get credit card laws memorized like the back of my hand, either the government would change the laws, or the bank would change the rules for the sake of changing them. It was no surprise that in an office building of nearly 3,000 employees, nearly every desk had at least one bottle of Tylenol.
But what does God have to say about change? Actually, it doesn't seem to find change neither good nor bad. It does, thankfully, point out a characteristic of Christ in Malachi 15:51 which says, "For I am the Lord, I change not ..."
That is probably what attracts many of us to Christ. His consistency.
I once heard someone make the comment, "A son will respect a consistent alcoholic father more so than an inconsistent Christian father."
Not a father, but I can see the point of that statement. Madeline Levine, a clinician, consultant and the author, most recently, of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success” claims that children thrive best in an environment that is reliable, available, and consistent.
So, is change good or bad? In Christ, consistency is good! But in our lives, we need to change at times in order to grow. We need to be consistent in our love for our God and our families. We need to change, though, when we are doing wrong and need to improve our lives. When a business finds a better way of doing business, things should change.
How do I deal with change? Easiest answer I can come up with may be simplistic, but here it is: pray. If you're having a hard time dealing with particular changes, ask God to open up your heart to new ideas. Perhaps if you are dealing with change at the office, talk with your boss and ask questions (obviously in a respectful manner.) Sometimes the reason change it hard to deal with is because we don't know all the reasons why the change was made in the first place. When a boss tells Jeremy, "we changed this, now do it this way," it may not settle well with him. But when the same boss says, "Jeremy, we changed this, and the reason is so that the cooks and/or waiters/waitresses can serve a better meal", he will surely take change in a more positive manner.
One last thought is this: when Jeremy first came to live with me last year, I knew up front he was a Steelers fan. I DESPISED that major flaw in his character! He asked me just after moving in, "are you going to try to change me into a Browns fan?" My answer, as painful as it is to admit, was, "no. BUT if you are going to call yourself a Steelers fan, I am going to hold you to that. No waffling from team to team depending on which team is doing better in a particular year. I want you to learn the Steelers roster, I want you to learn their history, and be a real fan." What I wanted to see in him was consistency. And that, he has done. However, when he moved in, there were other things that I did strongly advise him to change. I won't get into the details, but I am proud to share that he is 100% drug and alcohol free, and he has kept the same job the entire time he's lived here. So yes, change sometimes stinks. But sometimes, change is good!
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