Change... (how does it work?)

A somewhat different view of change...

Change. (How does it work?)

Let us think for a minute about change in general, not about the specific changes that occur in and around our lives. Change affects us all, although individuals experience, and respond differently to change. Furthermore, changes in our lives and surroundings come close to the skin, particularly when inevitable changes pose threats to our own wellbeing, our marriage relationships, our families, our finances, and communities. On a larger scale political changes have definite influences on each citizen, whether positive or negative. What happens when these adverse circumstances persist? Do we accept the inevitable? Do we conform to the way everyone around us deals with stressful situations? Do we become part of the statistics of broken homes, dysfunctional families, dead-end jobs, communities overrun by strife? Is there even any other way?

The Nature of Change

Changes can be either GOOD or BAD for us - “for better or for worse”. We all know people who have a strong fear of change. “If it's working, why change it?” Or like somebody said: “If it ain't broke, don’t fix it.” Then there are people who ask: “Is the way we do it really good enough?” “Isn’t there a better way to do this?”

Changes in and around us relate to circumstances within our control (like our own actions), or circumstances beyond our control (like the actions of others). The key here is control. Ask yourself: “Are these changes controlling me, specifically how I feel, think and act, or am I able to control the effects that these changes have on me and my loved ones?” Changes in our circumstances cause problems, or challenges. Semantics? No, a challenge indicates an important attitude that “I am not defeated by this!”, while a problem may cause fear, uncertainty, worry, and the perception of victimhood.

Change in History

World history is filled with individuals like Galileo Galilei, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, and many others like them, who have demonstrated the power of critical thinking, innovation, and perseverance, despite severe criticism. Their legacies continue to inspire and influence us today. We can hardly imagine our lives without the changes their contributions eventually brought about. Closer investigation about their struggles show that, at the time, the changes they were proposing caused uproar, protest, and physical danger to themselves.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) challenged the geocentric model (notion that the earth was the centre of the universe, and that the sun and all planets and stars revolved around it) that was proposed by Aristotle and the Catholic Church. He proposed the heliocentric model (notion that the sun is at the centre of the universe - like we still believe today) through his telescopic observations.
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) opposed Thomas Edison's direct current (DC) system for electric power distribution. He developed the alternating current (AC) system, which is still the standard today. We can hardly imagine living our lives at 6 or 12 volts!
Marie Curie (1867-1934) challenged the male-dominated scientific community and gender roles. She discovered the scientific elements radium and polonium, and her huge contribution to finding treatments for cancer still saves lives today. Her biography is speckled with “first female to…”. She was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Physics, and for a second time a few years later for Chemistry. She will be remembered for her enormous contributions in Nuclear physics, cancer treatment, and women's empowerment in science.

These changes - although on a much larger scale - are typical of how change is treated today. People reject change, even good changes like these, because of basic misunderstanding, lack of adventure, complacency, outdated paradigms, or a range of other reasons, only to eventually “take the leap” and conform. On the flipside unfortunately, the same happens with negative influence and change. These reactions to change dates back much further in history than the previous millennium though.

Change in the Bible

In the Old Testament of the Bible, we read about murderers, liars, cheaters, rapists, human traffickers, warmongers (the list goes on) who did not grasp the fact that God desired to have a relationship with them. Even if they did understand the covenant that God made with Abraham. They mostly did not keep their side of the bargain. God’s repeated interventions caused changed circumstances. Changes that these people could do nothing about, that were beyond their control, but they persisted to do what they wanted to do. “[E]very man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 (KJV) Sometimes, for short periods of time (up to 40 years at a time), they did good, and prospered, only to fall back in their own ways again.

In the New Testament, we read that there was always political and religious strife. Political oppression by the Roman Empire persisted throughout the history of the early church. Polytheist influence was rife and made it extremely difficult for Jesus’ followers to “do the right thing”. Yet, they persisted to remain faithful. How did they manage that? They continued to build the church that we are part of today, because they adapted to change, and they strived to improve their attitudes, their personal lives, their communities. The writers of the New Testament encouraged them by identifying the paradigms that caused their suffering, and provided fresh Christ-paradigms. The faithful believers continued on the paradigm shifting track for millennia.

My Personal View on Change

If we lived in a perfect world, no change was needed, but until we get there, we progressive earthlings should keep asking: “How can we do better?” In other words, If we were completely happy and fulfilled in our personal lives, our relationships (with spouse, family, friends, and with God), our work lives, our communities, nations, and the world, there would be now need to change at all. Sadly, we are not there, and everybody around us is trying to change to become better, to move closer to the evasive utopia everyone is desperately yearning for. Those efforts to move forward affect us. Some of those efforts are good, and helps us, while others are bad, and only helps those who are making the changes.

Why change?

Here are two words that sound like they may mean the same thing, but with slightly different meaning and vastly different significance. Instead of just changing our actions every time it is needed, we need to transform. We must transform our thoughts and attitudes about a particular issue. We must identify the patterns we are conformed to, and transform by enforcing different thought-and-action patterns. We must find the root paradigm of the recurring challenges, and change that! When we achieve this stage, new, healthier choices are made automatically, every time they are needed. This is exactly what the Bible teaches us on the subject.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

We have a choice to make. Either we can continue to be “tossed to and fro” like a little boat in a big ocean, affected repeatedly by the same stress-causing changes around us, or we can change our paradigms about the things we care about, and how we think about change in general. This, in fact, means more than we may think at first. It means more than changing our minds about whether the earth is the centre of the universe or not. It means a lifelong process of personal TRANSFORMation. It means a gradual “renewal of our minds”.

Are you up for this?

Written by...

Peet Blanckenberg

Author Bio

Peet Blanckenberg is a Bible teacher, Biblical Life Coach, and author of many online articles. He holds a B.Th degree from Auckland Park Theological Seminary in Johannesburg, South Africa. For the best part of thirty years, he spent his life preaching and counselling as a layman, and as a volunteer at non-profit charity organizations. Peet and Marthie, his wife for more than 40 years, live in Cape Town, South Africa. They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.