Ever have to prepare for a major transition in life? Over time our problems do not go away but become more interesting. As a child, the most significant stressor is wondering if the neighbor kid will give you back your toys, or if you’re going to get PB & J with the crust or chicken nuggets from McDonald’s. However, our problems become more complicated as we mature in life; from the first day of school to taking tests, talking to your interest, getting a job, health complications, losing a family member, getting married, having children, paying a mortgage, adjusting to a new position, new church leadership, to relocating and the list of stressors in life continues. Many of us can struggle with change, and long for consistency. Only one thing in life is consistent; we will always be experiencing change! But how do we handle the transition?
There are two ways to handle any transition, spiritually and unspiritual. With change comes uncertainty and requires us to become men and women of faith. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1. While we go through transitions, our fearful expectations appear real, but this is only fear and can lead to a negative self-fulfilling prophecy. The key to successfully going through transitions is not, not getting stress; it’s about casting it off!
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7
While stress comes to all of us, we must cast it onto God in prayer. Anxiety is not a bad thing that we must numb ourselves too but is a spiritual radar for our need of prayer and surrender. Stress is God’s way of helping us see our need for prayer; To “cast ALL [our] anxiety on Him because He cares for [us].” Anxiety causes us to think, when we pray specifically we are thinking through the details. To be a great planner, we must consider every aspect, and once we have gone through everything, do it again! The more we can plan, the smoother the actual transition will be!
“But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.” Isaiah 32:8
While planning we must not forget to “humble [ourselves] and submit [oursleves] to [our] elders.” As it is very noble to make plans, we must do it with humility and advise. Elder can be defined as a role in the church, but also one that is advanced in life. Getting counsel from church leaders as well as people who have experienced a similar situation could be critical to our failure, or success!
“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Proverbs 11:14
Let us be noble with planning, getting advise, and then putting our plans into practice! However, some transitions are outside of our control and are too quick for proper planning. One thing must be established; transition comes to expose our hearts and helps us grow! Consider what God says in Hebrews 12 about hardship (the type of transitions we are now talking about).
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” Hebrews 12:7-13
Every hardship is discipline from God. That means whatever difficulty is in our life, relationships, finances, time management, etc., it has been strategically placed there by God to help us grow and produce a “harvest of righteousness” but only if we have been trained by it! Hardship is training! We can go through transition and become better, or go through the same hardship and become bitter. The decision is ours! Only in transition can we see where we really are and what is in our hearts.
“Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another—she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. But days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars. Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.” Jeremiah 48:11-13
When wine is left on its dregs, the sediment sits at the bottom. Only when shaken or poured from one pitcher to another does the things buried in the deep recesses of our hearts come to light. Without hardship, transition and change, we would forever be the same sinful individual. But God desires progress and growth from us as we become more like His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 4:15, Romans 8:29). Because God searches our minds and our hearts (Jeremiah 17:10), He already see’s what is buried, it is through a transition that God exposes it to us!
Transition does not cause us to become unspiritual; it exposes where we are already at and the cracks of our spiritual foundation! It does not cause us to worry but reveals our lack of faith. It does not cause us to be short and harsh but exposes our weak prayer life and a weak relationship with God. We must embrace change, embrace transitions and hardship to become better Christians, not bitter (Hebrews 12:15). To see that God wants to expose to us the cracks in our lives so that He can fill them with metal more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7). Hardship is miracle grow for every Christian and a killer for every weed. Let us grow through this transition instead of falling away from our convictions!
Let us think through our situations with fervent prayers. If we are able, let us plan with many advisors. But in any case, let us surrender, handle the transition with faith, trust that God wants us to see our weaknesses in order for us to grow, mature, and have an abundant harvest!
Love,
Coltin L Rohn