Seasons of Change: Are You Ready?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since diligently seeking and having a relationship with Jesus, it is this:

If we humbly seek Him, giving our lives to Him and asking that His will be done in our lives, change is inevitable. Not only is it inevitable, but it is always meant for our good and for His purposes. This is what He promises. It is His character that He always creates a win-win for all His people and for Him. He gets the glory out of our story and our transformation.

Romans 8: 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

The catch, so to speak, is that we humans typically don’t like change. Change always comes with uncertainties such as “Where will I work?”, “Where will I live?”, “What if I don’t get the job?”, “How will I move on from this tragedy?”, etc.

How can we prepare for change?

The best thing we can do in order to prepare for change is to develop a close relationship with the One who created us. In other words, to know the One we’re seeking, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without a close relationship (or “walk with Him”), we are subject to the waves and turbulence that come with change. We absolutely need Him to be our stabilizing force so that we can endure change without appearing to be a fraud or worry like an unbeliever. He needs to be our solid Rock for us to stand on otherwise we’ll be sinking in the sand.

Luke 6: 46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

How do we develop that close relationship with Jesus? (I’m glad you asked!)

It’s simple, we spend time with Him. Just like any other relationship, in order for it to grow and to develop into something more than just an acquaintance, time with the other person is absolutely essential.

Let me make this very simple and it is something that I learned first hand from the Lord Himself (That’s another story)

There are…

3 essential, regular activities that we must pursue…

in order to develop our relationship with God.

These activities are:

Spend time in His Word

This should be no surprise. When Jesus says “listens to my teaching“, either hearing the Word or reading it is how we listen to His teaching. And this is not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament is just as valuable. He wrote that Book as well, with the help of His friends, of course.

We need to devour it just as we devour any good book or novel. It is our daily Bread, for our souls. Our spiritual life depends on reading the Word of God. If you’re not reading His Word consistently then I don’t know how you can expect to grow much without it.

Spend time in Prayer

I shouldn’t have to tell you this. I think it is a given. But I know first hand that prayer is one of the most difficult things for a person to do, especially when they’re just starting to develop the habit.

There’s just something about prayer to a Holy and Righteous God that offends our flesh and we look for all kinds of distractions and/or excuses not to pray. It always seems to be a challenge, at least starting out.

Prayer is the simple act of conversing with God. Just talk to Him. When you’re driving, when you wake up, when you’re waiting in line or when you talk with a friend who’s losing their home, pray with them! And continue to pray for those that God has put in your life.

Once this habit is developed, a believer realizes just how important it really is and I’ve never met a believer who thinks they pray enough, honestly.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing” (ESV) or “Never stop praying”

Luke 10: 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Spend time in regular Fellowship

I define fellowship as spending time with other people that love Jesus. Where the focus of your conversation is about the Bible, sharing your lives and your burdens. It’s having meaningful discussions about living out our faith. Fellowship can come in many flavors but it is always worthwhile and never superficial. Maybe it’s over food, coffee, going on a road trip, in Bible Study, or prayer meeting. It’s going on a hike or after a long day at work sharing your life with someone over the phone.

This is how relationships are developed, real, meaningful relationships, with Christ being at the center.

Galatians 6: Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

We can’t do this without meaningful fellowship.

Hebrews 10: 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

After spending this time with Jesus, alone and with His family we will not only have a strong foundation in Christ, but we’ll also have a beautiful family that will also endure the seasons of change with us. That, my friends, is invaluable! Can I get an “Amen”?

Dear Father, thank you for leading me to you and opening my eyes so that I might know you, a Holy and loving God. You are magnificent and I want to know you more. Please help me to develop a closer relationship with you so that I can have confidence and a peace that the world couldn’t possibly understand. Thank you for leading me closer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Photo by Will Swann on Unsplash