Unchanging

It has been said that the only constant in life is change; and yet, we never seem to get used to change. Change is rarely easy, especially major life altering changes.

What change is on your horizon? How are you preparing for it? Are you dreading it? Anticipating it? Are you Excited? Anxious? Fearful? Is there a key to coping with change; a way to embrace it, or to make the move from the way things were to the way things are, or will be, a little easier?

As most of you know, our family is facing a big change in a few days, our oldest son is moving his family to England. Yes, we are counting days now, and when I think about all of the changes, that could happen, my heart gets heavy.

Since I won’t get to spend as much time with my sweet little granddaughter, Stella, as I have with my grandsons Jake, Matt and Cal, will I be able to develop a relationship with her like I have with the boys? Will she be afraid of me, shy, or stand-offish when we do get to be together? Will it take most of our visit before she feels comfortable enough to snuggle with me?

Will my son be so busy in his new job that we rarely talk? Will the time difference and the busyness of our lives become a barrier between me and Nikki? Will Dan and Bob be able to maintain their closeness as brothers? Will my precious daughters-in-law, Nikki and Jen, still be able to share mommy trials, and husband tales?

There are so many things we could fear. However, the only way I know to survive change without giving in to fear is to keep my faith firmly planted in the One who never changes.

For the most part, we are all choosing not to live in fear, we are choosing to trust that our unchanging God is in the midst of all that will be changing. And because God is actively in this, all of his attributes are at work in this.

We can trust that God is at work for good because God says he is, and God is truth, He does not lie, and He doesn’t change.

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” — Numbers 23:19. NIV

 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” — Isaiah 40:8 NIV

 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28 NIV

We can stand firm in uncertain times because we know that God is always exactly the same.

God is wholly good, perfectly just, and full of grace and mercy. He is love. He is truth. He is kind, gentle, and long-suffering. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is wisdom. He perfectly exercises all of his attributes all of the time and he always does what is completely good and right and wise in every situation.

It is easy to take God’s unchanging nature, his immutability, for granted. We expect that summer will follow spring, the sun will come up each morning, and there will never be another flood to destroy the whole earth.

But, what if God could change? Since God can’t become more of any of his attributes (because he is wholly all of them), then it stands to reason that if he were to change, he would become less. God would become less good, less perfect, less just, less merciful, less gracious, less trustworthy, less wise, less true.

If God were less than perfectly good, then he would be a little bad; a little bit wicked, a little evil. If God were capable of doing or being a little bit wicked, he would be entirely capable of complete wickedness.

If that were true, the foundation for our faith crumbles and we have no hope. Without hope, we can’t endure a future that constantly changes. Without hope there is no purpose or meaning to anything in life.

The truth is that God is entirely good, and entirely unchanging in all his ways. We place our hope and faith in a God who is fully trustworthy, who keeps every promise, who is truth and whose purposes never change.

The only way to face change, or better yet to embrace change, is to embrace God who is unchanging! Because God is unchanging we can trust that every circumstance of our lives is being used by him for his good purpose.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

What change are you contemplating? God is already in your future, he is already in your change. Will you choose to trust him and embrace the change he has for you?

This summer (2016) I have chosen to highlight an attribute of God each week in the blog posts. For the entire catalog of attributes, please click on this link:

Attributes of God

 For individual blog posts click on one of the following links:
Knowable Creator Wisdom Father Good Just All Knowing Unchanging Eternal Spirit Truth Light Beautiful