Many living things transform themselves. However, we do not expect a caterpillar to become a bird, a tadpole to become a skunk or a pumpkin seed to become a banana tree. Similarly, we cannot expect a person to completely change their personality, but we can expect and encourage them to evolve to their full potential.
Each person has a core personality. That personality is formed and held in by certain values and faith. It is also influenced by how we organize experiences into our view of reality and how we try to control our own environment. It is completely normal for people to resist change even when they see change as desirable or necessary. We may fear losing important parts of ourselves that have made our lives work up to now. We can respect this resistance and its self-protecting purpose without succumbing to it.
As we open up to the idea that we need to change, we can understand more about our relationship to ourselves and our relationships to others. The biblical disciples as recorded in the Bible were faced with changing their lifelong professions as fishermen. They were familiar with the prospect of catching fish on certain days and at certain places on the sea of Galilee because they were professional fishermen. However, little did they know that they would be faced with the biggest and most important change in their lives. This change was from the known to the unknown foreseeable future.
Sometimes life is this way. We are called into the role of becoming courageous followers who see life’s harsh wake-up-call coming to effectively make a person aware of the need to preempt that call. International businessman Narayana Murthy said, “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you do not belong.”
Change is a part of life. Humans are not designed to stay the same throughout life without changes because life would be so boring. However, all of us must avoid knee-jerk reactions to change. The change might appear to be the right solution at a moment in our lives, but the consequences of a knee-jerk change in life can be costly and sometimes regrettable. Having a clear mind and understanding the risks involved are paramount before you pursue a major life change.
Where we are in life maybe where God wants us to be. Oprah Winfrey said, “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” So before making a change in life, weigh the outcome against your blessings now and seek God’s direction. And Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
