Originally published Wednesday, 04 December 2013.
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. Hebrews 11:8-10 (VOICE)
It’s been almost a month since I resigned.
Four weeks since I spoke to my staff and told them I won’t be walking into that office the same way I have for the last six years.
There was no easy way to say it. There was no easy way to prepare my staff for the changes that will come. The new things for my staff and my self.
I’ve been overwhelmed at times with the weight of these changes.
You see, I don’t really like change, and with this decision to resign I threw myself into a whirlpool of change in my life: where I work, where I live and even eventually, if things go according to plan, the language that I speak.
It’s ironic because I love new places, trying novel things and learning about different cultures but discovering is different to changing.
Discovering simply requires uncovering something. It’s like the moment when I realize that I get angry when I’m insecure.
Change on the other hand looks for transformation and adjustment to whatever comes our way. It’s the moment when I bite my tongue, remain vulnerable and decide not to react in anger out of insecurity.
Discovery is easy. Changing is the hard part. (tweet this)
Lately I’ve been wishing that I could just discover rather than change, that I could adventure through life without having to transform who I am.
These feelings have come because there has been backlash to my resignation and unkind words spoken. I’ve wondered if this choice to move forward, to change, to grow, to move out of a rut is worth it.
As I’ve thought about the roots of these feelings, I’ve discovered that much of it comes because over the last few weeks, I’ve been keeping my eye on the changes that are happening, rather than on God.
The shift from eternity to my problems happens so easily.
In the Bible there is a chapter on faith in Hebrews 11. It talks a lot about Abraham and how he said yes to God’s call even though he had no idea what it meant.
The part that really drew my soul was the line about how Abraham kept his faith through all the changes this decision brought by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations.
Abraham was a man who changed everything about his life because he believed in the promises God had made about his future.
When everything changes if I don’t keep an eternal perspective it is hard to believe that God is the one in control.
Now I’m trying to let this discovery change me.
When I start to feel that I’d rather adventure than transform, I think about Abraham, and what his choice to change meant for the eternal kingdom that God is building.
Ponder: What have you discovered about yourself recently? How will use that discovery to change?
Pray: God, help me to keep my eyes focused on you and to see all these changes in my life from an eternal perspective. Amen.
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