Tired of Change?
EVERYTHING seems to be changing. Jobs, technology, politics, education, the social structure, alliances between nations--all are moving in new directions. Sometimes it can be hard to move with them, especially if we are afraid that we don't have the job skills to keep up with new industries.
One of the best ways to deal with change is to find something permanent--an anchor that will keep us in a safe harbor no matter how hard the storm around us is blowing. For me, and many others, the Bible's teachings are that anchor. The ex- ample set by Christ Jesus is an especially potent help in times of change.
In his Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gave wonderful guidance on how to deal with change. At the time, he was speaking of people's legitimate concerns about having enough food and clothing. These and other needful things often seem threatened by change, especially if we don't know where our next job is coming from.
Yes, Jesus' teachings are radical. He declared, ``Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'' (Matthew 6:31, 33). Yet if you consider the Master's essential premise for this statement--namely the goodness and abundance that are inherent in God's nature--it is very practical advice.
Since God is unchanging divine Love, it follows that He cares for all His children. On the human scene, we may face change in our individual lives. But our relationship to God, as ideas in divine Mind, is permanent. God is our reliable source for all that is good.
It is important, too, to remember that our relationship to God is not one of hopeless sinner to judgmental deity. Rather, it is--as Christ Jesus taught--one of Father and much-needed offspring. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, explains this in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She writes, ``If God, who is Life, were parted for a moment from His reflection, man, during that moment there would be no divinity reflected. The Ego would be unexpressed, and the Father would be childless,--no Father'' (p. 306).
As God's reflection, or idea, we express God-given qualities such as intelligence, strength, purity, honesty, patience, and goodness. These never go out of fashion and they are a constant reminder of our unbreakable relationship to God, our divine source. Each time we exercise one of these qualities, we are affirming our spiritual nature and the unlimited good that is always coming to us from God.
Such consciousness of God's unchanging love gives us con-fidence to seek new employment or retraining or to take any steps that seem needed in order to respond to changes in our lives. Even if, humanly speaking, our lives are filled with change, we will proceed, conscious of God's permanent love and control. Then, instead of feeling pushed around by shifts in work, home, education, or other pressures, we'll have a kind of ``home base''-- a secure place in thought where we can prayerfully acknowledge that God is governing our lives. Choices made from this spiritual standpoint bring us stability, wherever we are.
So if change seems to be swirling around you like a stormy ocean, anchor yourself on the rock--on the Christ, Truth, that Jesus gave as the foundation of our lives. As you look more and more to your permanent relationship to a loving God, you will find the stability and security that you need.
