This summer I’ve been talking to a lot of students who are in the middle of a time of change. From graduating seniors facing college in the fall, to graduating juniors figuring out what schools they want to apply to, to 8th graders wondering what high school is going to be like, and every one of them going on to the next grade, our students are going through a lot of change!

It got me thinking about change and how we deal with change along side of our friends, families, and co-workers. Many times in our conversations with each other, we want to be there and comfort one another, so we tell each other that everything will be fine and that the feeling will eventually go away. But I found that in life things will always be changing. There is always something ending and always something starting. Truly helping one another would not be to point someone to the end of change, but to help them become a person who finds peace in the midst of it.  And then I thought……..

God doesn’t want us to just survive changes, He wants us to thrive in the midst of them. 

Could you imagine what it would be like to walk along side of Jesus for His years of ministry here on earth? The disciples were constantly going through changes simply because they were following Jesus. The second they chose to follow Him, everything changed in an instant. They left their families, things changed. They were constantly on the road going from town to town with Jesus experiencing a change of environment…sometimes a weekly basis. The minute they saw Jesus do His first miracle, things changed. Once crowds start hearing about Jesus and flocking around them everywhere they went, things changed. When Jesus finally heads to the cross to be crucified, things changed. When He rose from the dead and revisited them, things changed. And in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit shows up in an upper room, things changed. When you follow Jesus, things change ALL THE TIME. 

So how do we thrive in the midst of change? By looking at the disciples and their relationship with Jesus, I can think of 3 key ideas we can hold onto that will help us thrive in change.

1. Ask questions

A lot of what the disciples learned about Jesus was because they were always asking Him questions. In the midst of change we need to constantly be asking God questions when we pray. He answers! Questions like “Lord, is this the right time?” “What are you doing in my heart through all of this?”  ”Is this your will?”  ”How does this all work to glorify you?”  We seem to think that we need to have it all together before we seek God in prayer. But when the disciples had a question or didn’t know something, they asked! In one instance they simply wanted to know why Jesus always explained things by giving parables. So they asked him! And he answered!

2. Be obedient

Jesus said that those who truly love him will obey his word and ways. If we truly love Him we would know that what He desires for us is the best thing for us and will ultimately glorify God. Many times in the midst of change, we begin to fear a lot of things. The sense of being out of control blinds us to the fact that God is in control. Sometimes we know what God is saying, we know what we need to do, but fear can sometimes lead to disobedience. When God speaks in the midst of change we need to be obedient.

3. Take it one day at a time 

Just like many of us, in the midst of change the disciples would often worry about the future. At one point they asked Jesus how they will know when He is coming back. Jesus hints to a few different things but ultimately answers with “stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” Jesus tells them to make the decision every day as it comes to be ready for His return. He also says “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In the midst of change there is a lot to worry about, but we need to remember that today is the only day we have. Thriving in the midst of change is taking it one day at time.

If you are in the midst of change today, I pray that you will be willing to ask God the deepest questions in your heart, that when He speaks you would be obedient, and that you would be able to trust Him with each day as they come.

– Pastor Kevin

217church is a  church for families in New Jersey that meets in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater. If you are looking for a church in Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services at 9:30 or 11 am! Visit www.217church.com.