Today’s Challenges: The challenge of our constantly changing lives …

0

I have never met anyone who has a life that never changes. Granted, some of our lives change more often or more radically than others, but change is normal for our lives. We may face illness, surgeries, marital problems, financial problems; child raising problems, personal relationship challenges and then there are the good things, promotions, graduations, weddings, new houses, births and the list could go on and on. Change is part of our lives, and each change presents its own set of challenges.

Honestly, I don’t believe that God causes these challenges to happen in our lives, but perhaps there is a reason why so many of our prayers seem to go unanswered. There may be a reason why God doesn’t remove these challenges from our lives. A light went on in my mind the other day when I heard someone say on the radio, “God loves us just as we are, but he also loves us too much to leave us that way. He wants us to change and grow!”

In our church this year we have been dealing with the concept of being transformed by God…I believe that we are being transformed by God in my life right now! Into what or in what ways I am uncertain. Does God have a plan; can he heal your illness or injury, could he interfere with the emotional or relationship challenges you face? Yes, he could! Why doesn’t he? Why doesn’t he reveal his plan to you or me? I don’t have a clue, but perhaps there is a higher purpose that we are as of yet unable to see or understand.

One of my all-time favorite scriptures is found in Romans 8:28. I know you have heard it many, many times in your life, but it doesn’t change the truth of God’s words found there. The Apostle Paul, inspired by God, wrote these words, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”.

How could what is happening in our lives possibly result in anything good? I don’t know! But his one thing I know, “God loves us just as we are, but he also loves us too much to leave us that way. He wants us to change and grow.” God wants us to transform in to someone that can love him and serve him with all that is in us. Change is never easy, but it can’t be stopped either. Paul puts the challenge to us in Romans 12:12where he says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.”

The bottom line as the saying goes: We need to accept the fact that things are going to change and get on with living your life the best you can for God.

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_RussLawsonPRINT-1-15.jpg

By Russ Lawson

Today’s Challenges

Russ Lawson is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with his column Today’s Challenges. He is semi-retired and an elder at the Mid-County Church of Christ. He can be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

No posts to display