WOMEN TAKING A STAND DEVOTION - April 7, 2008

THIS WEEKS DEVOTION....

"The Revolving Door"

(overcoming change)

Thank you for joining me for this week's devotion. It is my prayer that your heart will be challenged and changed today as we meditate upon God's Word!

We are living in a time of change! Just look around and we can all see the advances of technology. Can you think of some things that we have today that our great-grandparents did not have?

A statement I read this week from Leonard Sweet, as he spoke to a group of church leaders: "We who are alive today have witnessed the 3rd great invention that changes learning. The 1st great invention was the introduction of the Greek Alphabet in 8 B.C.; the 2nd great invention was the Guttenberg's printing press. Neither of those inventions brought change as rapidly and as globally as the 3rd great invention...the invention of the Internet!

The Internet has changed not only our learning, but communication. Think about it, there is no information that we cannot get our hands on via the computer.

Stress comes with change, ordinarily, the stress that sweeps over us because of change is not in the "larger world". Typically, the stress is caused by the changes that are introduced into our private world. Changes such as divorce, relocation, change in career, unemployment, marriage, sickness, death, and raising children are just a few.

If we could label the change in our life in four different categories, they would be:

1.Welcome and expected (such as a promotion)

2. Welcome and unexpected (such as a mid-year bonus)

3. Unwelcome and expected (such as your company is downsizing)

4. Unwelcome and unexpected (such as sudden termination of your job)

Most of our stressful change in our life will fall under category 4; Unwelcome and Unexpected. This is where life's crisis and tragedies usually fall.

Last week in the YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled readers the following question, "If you were required to relocate to another city, what or who would you miss the most about your present community?" Here are the top 3 results:

1. 52% voters said they would miss their Church

2. 44% polled voted that they would miss their family

3. 20% voted that friends would be missed

A bumper sticker I saw the other day, "Change is good...You go first!" Well, that pretty much sums up our attitude about change! Change is good as long as it is happening to someone else or if the change does not hinder our agenda. No matter how we feel about change, it never goes away. The statement, "Change is a constant" is true of life..regardless of status, position, power or wealth. Life is like a revolving door, always changing. There is only one thing that I can think of that remains the same.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." -HEBREWS 13:8

Can you imagine, the company that you work for has just told you that they have an incredible, new opportunity for you in a DIFFERENT city. They will not tell you where it is, but you must put your house up for sale, and pack up the moving van before receiving an envelope with directions to your new place of residence. What would your response to this offer be?

God told Abram to leave his country, leave his people and leave his father's household with no other information, he had no guarantees, not even a road map to follow!

GENESIS 12:1-5

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. (2)I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3)I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.' (4)So Abram left, as the Lord told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. (5) He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possession's they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan and they arrived there/"

People often refer to relocating as being "uprooted". When a plant is transplanted, it does not warm up to its new home immediately; one may say the plant goes into an organic state of shock. A newly transported tree will require more water than an established tree. People are much like transplanted plants..we resist change!

• Abram was told to release what was familiar and secure. Everything that he had known, and understood and counted on was now on the other side of the revolving door. Adapting to change is similar to scuba diving at night; you have left the security of the boat but without a light, you can only see a few feet in front of you. FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD IS THE LIGHT THAT GUIDES US IN CHANGE!

• It is at a crossroads of change that we typically grow the most! Change always has the potential to spark growth in us as it introduces new challenges and opportunities. Change is like a gorilla who gets on a bus and he wants to sit in your seat...staying where you are is NOT an option! Change has the potential to grow our character, our relationships, it enhances our skills and opens up new opportunities. CHANGE IS A FAITHFUL AND COURAGEOUS ADAPTATION!

• When things are in disorder around us, we search for something that is steady and reliable. When the swift currents try to sink us, we need an anchor. Change will force us to depend upon God. CHANGE THROWS US OFF BALANCE, BUT WE MUST CLING AND TIGHTEN OUR GRIP ON GOD!

It is my prayer that as the revolving door brings change into your life, that you will cling to God. Cling to Him like a vine...during a storm, a vine actually strengthens its grip on the tree. In your crisis of change, grip the presence of God thru prayer and worship!

Cling to Him like a mountain climber...an experienced climber will apply a firm grip with his toes and fingers and he presses his body into the face of the mountain. In your revolving door of change, stay close to God and hold on tight during the steep climbs of change in your life!

Have a blessed (and changed) Week!

Blessings, Laurie

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL:

Please vote in this weeks poll; "If you were in prison as the apostle Paul was, what do you think your attitude might be?" Please cast your vote...YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

A. ROWLAND..."Let us seek the spirit of the poor widow, who knew that God could do without her gift, but felt that her love could not be satisfied without her sacrifice."

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK:

"The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 SAMUEL 16:7