People
hate change, or so I hear. But the change we generally resist is the kind that
we think will make our situation worse rather than better. We eagerly change
jobs when it means higher pay and more influence. We happily move to a bigger
house in a better neighborhood. So it’s not change in general that we hate;
it’s change that involves loss—sometimes physical; other times emotional or
psychological.
Change is
both inevitable and necessary. If everything stays the same, no one is growing.
But we have a Shepherd who guides us through change and leads us to a better
place. Getting there may be difficult, as it was for the Israelites in reaching
the Promised Land. They grumbled when their situation got worse rather than
better (Ex. 15:24; Num. 14:2). But we have the example of Jesus. In less than a
week, He went from being the leader of many to being abandoned by all. Between
Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Good Shepherd became the Passover Lamb.
Because Christ willingly went through suffering, God elevated Him to the
highest place (John 10:11; Phil. 2:8-9).
Not all change is pleasant, but when we’re being led to a better place by Someone who loves us, we don’t need to fear it.
