Stories Of Change
Stories Of Change
Stories Of Change
Stories Of Change
Effective leaders who are influential in the lives of others have owned the wisdom, knowledge, and insight of their own life change. Failure to be changed before changing others often feels self-righteous. Embracing change before changing others often feels humble. The first is met with cynicism, the latter with receptivity.
Howard Hendricks, who was affectionately known as "Prof" to his students, is famous for saying, "you cannot impart what you do not possess." Effective leaders who are influential in the lives of others have owned the wisdom, knowledge, and insight of their own life change. Failure to be changed before changing others often feels self-righteous. Embracing change before changing others often feels humble. The first is met with cynicism, the latter with receptivity.
My story, like many of you, is a story of change. God orchestrated those changes long before I experienced them, processed them, and (in some cases) reconciled them. If you're like me, some of those changes are chosen - we chose a college, we chose a spouse, we chose to change jobs - and we have some percentage of control over the circumstances. Other changes happen to us without invitation or warning - a medical crisis, getting fired from a job, a broken relationship - and we feel out of control.
The challenge of the change process (both chosen and unchosen) is believing God is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we choose our changes we are tempted to believe the lie that we write our own story, rather than recognizing it is "God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). In order to most effectively see changes in ourselves we must see God as the initiator, sustainer, and finisher of the change process (Philippians 1:6).
Change is about movement. It might be physical movement, like God moving Abram to a land he did not know or Daniel into the exile of the king. Change might be relational movement, like Paul meeting Jesus on the Damascus road, which transformed him from Pharisee to disciple. Change might be vocational, like Jesus calling Peter and Andrew to become fishers of men instead of fishermen. Regardless of the change that takes place, it is all to move us closer to Jesus, so that we might delight ourselves in Him and align our desires to His (Psalm 37:4).
This week I will be sharing some of the experiences in my life that have been most impactful, painful, and transformational. God has met me in all of those changes, even if I do not fully understand all of those changes yet.
Resources
Howard Hendricks, who was affectionately known as "Prof" to his students, is famous for saying, "you cannot impart what you do not possess." Effective leaders who are influential in the lives of others have owned the wisdom, knowledge, and insight of their own life change. Failure to be changed before changing others often feels self-righteous. Embracing change before changing others often feels humble. The first is met with cynicism, the latter with receptivity.
My story, like many of you, is a story of change. God orchestrated those changes long before I experienced them, processed them, and (in some cases) reconciled them. If you're like me, some of those changes are chosen - we chose a college, we chose a spouse, we chose to change jobs - and we have some percentage of control over the circumstances. Other changes happen to us without invitation or warning - a medical crisis, getting fired from a job, a broken relationship - and we feel out of control.
The challenge of the change process (both chosen and unchosen) is believing God is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we choose our changes we are tempted to believe the lie that we write our own story, rather than recognizing it is "God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). In order to most effectively see changes in ourselves we must see God as the initiator, sustainer, and finisher of the change process (Philippians 1:6).
Change is about movement. It might be physical movement, like God moving Abram to a land he did not know or Daniel into the exile of the king. Change might be relational movement, like Paul meeting Jesus on the Damascus road, which transformed him from Pharisee to disciple. Change might be vocational, like Jesus calling Peter and Andrew to become fishers of men instead of fishermen. Regardless of the change that takes place, it is all to move us closer to Jesus, so that we might delight ourselves in Him and align our desires to His (Psalm 37:4).
This week I will be sharing some of the experiences in my life that have been most impactful, painful, and transformational. God has met me in all of those changes, even if I do not fully understand all of those changes yet.
Resources