The Change

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Change. I used to relish the word. At a particular period of time in my life, I welcomed and loved change. As a child, I was fairly timid and a little nervous with change, but as I grew into my teen and young adult years, I became much more adventurous. I would grow tired of the normal and mundane, always getting excited about something different or new in my life. I had no problem travelling over 3,000 kms by plane all by myself at 18 years old to start my college years. I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed college student, and felt like I could take anything on — even travelling across the world to teach English in South Korea. That adventure ended with me having to essentially escape the country, but that is another story for another time!

Throughout the years, ‘change’ has changed for me. It seems like change becomes more frequent and more unpredictable as I age. Each time I look in the mirror, I see change…wrinkles, sagging, and grey hairs, oh my! I no longer have that same adventurous spirit I used to have when it comes to change in my life. The older we get, the more wisdom, understanding, and experience we gain, and with that a different perspective on changes in our lives. Not only do I see the exciting things that can take place, I also see the pitfalls or difficulties that can come with those times now.

We have gone through an enormous amount of change in the past few months…as have many others. It has been a change that I did not ask for or want in my life. And it has caused a domino effect of many other changes that are inevitable with such loss. But, in spite of this difficult time, I am asking the Lord to help us reach a new level in our lives. Change can either break us or become the catalyst for reaching a level that we may never have reached in our lives under normal circumstances. I know that the Lord has held our hands through each step of this journey. I still don’t understand everything, but I don’t need to. I just need to trust that Jesus knows and understands everything, and that He will lead and guide us through the uncertain pathway set before us.

“Before every new level is a new devil”. I have heard that phrase many times in church circles over the years. And we have seen the enemy attack just before a breakthrough of some sort on many occasions. Well, we are ready for a new level in God now. We have fought the enemy like never before lately. And I know that we are not the only ones. I believe that the Lord is getting ready to move His Church to a new level — a level the world has never seen before. We are thirsty and hungry for a move of God. People are downtrodden, despondent and in despair, but Jesus is the answer…He can bring about their deliverance!

Change is all around us, but for us to reach those new levels in God, we are the ones who need to change. The change needs to take place within us. The world will not see a move of God until we allow God to move us. He has chosen to use us as the weak things of the world to confound the wise. He has chosen us to be His vessels to flow through. He has chosen us to be the salt and light in this dark world.

Lord, take our broken lives to a new level in You, and use us to be the change that this world desperately needs!