Real Change

So making a change is hard and most people don't like it.  We are familiar with the environment around us and small differences can stand out in an uncomfortable way.  Pay attention to people's reactions the next time that they decide to rearrange the chairs in the church sanctuary.  Now, if you ask me the real advantage to a traditional church sanctuary with permanent pews is that no one can move them around, but we live in a different age.

So people come in and there is this moment of panic.  In the place where they usually sit, by the people they usually sit with; is now an aisle.  They look for a new landing spot, which is inevitably somebody else's preferred spot.  And the chaos continues.  We are told this is good for us to get out of our comfort zones.  But I can't help notice that the one who tells us this is standing in the exact same spot on the stage that he stands every single week.

And it's not just seating.  There are countless other changes that we find ourselves resistant to.  Maybe that product is in a new package.  Or the TV show you like is on at a different time.  Or a software update that eliminates or moves a feature that you like.  The list goes on an on.  If you want a great example of our intolerance to change, ask a Star Wars fan if they like the theatrical releases or the later versions reedited by George Lucas.  And while you're at it, ask if they think Han shot first.

But all of these changes are small potatoes.  If someone sitting in your seat or the re-release of a favorite film can cause this type of stress, how do we have a chance to pull of wholesale, fundamental, life altering changes in the ways that we live our lives.

We live our lives day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year and as we go on we make our plans and decisions and pretty much do what we do.  But if we want something different, we need to make a conscious decision to make it different.  And that is change.  And change is hard.

In the life transformation business, there is no better support coach than God.  As Christians we know that God's plan for our lives is way better than what we have in mind.  God sees farther than we can and knows us even better than we know ourselves.  God is so invested in this plan for our future that he was willing to let his son die to make it a reality. 

Watch this video from Pastor Chris.

Real change is daunting.  Our lives are made up of many day to day decisions.  Real, life altering change is more than moving out of our comfort zones.  And that is true no matter where we end up sitting.