by Mel McCredie
For many of us, change holds the power to stir up fear. We seek comfort in control and predictability, and we look to the future and plan accordingly. We like to believe we are ready for whatever comes our way.
But this misplaced confidence in our choices can lead to complacency. What happens when the best-laid plans suddenly unravel? How do we navigate the fear of the unknown? In those moments when there seems to be nowhere else to turn, where do we find comfort?
The tension between resisting change and embracing it is an ongoing challenge for me. When my health deteriorates, relationships end, or unexpected career moves happen, I often doubt both myself and the decisions I have made.
It’s hard not to wonder what paths different choices might have taken us down. But it’s equally hard to accept that no matter what comes our way, God is in control. He doesn’t cause our suffering, but He does allow it. And that can be an extremely painful truth to reconcile.
Of the many wonderful stories we read in the Bible, one of the things that brings me the greatest comfort is realising that God’s people also struggled with similar challenges. It’s not exclusive to you and me, it’s been part of the human experience since the beginning of time.
I know I’m not alone in this. God is with me. And He understands.
Maybe it’s my personality, but I feel like I will always be the one who cries at graduations and weddings and struggles with transitioning between jobs or moving on from relationships. I’m learning to accept this part of who I am, but it doesn’t make the process any easier.
No matter how much I try to resist, the end result is the same. Eventually, just like everyone else, I have to admit that I have limited control over the circumstances of my life. But I can choose to put my faith in a God who loves me and has a good plan for my life.
Even as we struggle to understand what’s happening to us, He does. It’s part of His plan for our lives, and that’s where the challenge lies. Embracing God’s will, no matter what, is not easy. We have to be open to whatever lesson is there for us to learn. The question is, are we?
Trusting God is simple when everything is going well, but the true test comes in times of trouble. God remains constant, yesterday, today, and forever. He stands by us in both good and bad times.
But it’s most often during the difficult moments that He humbles us and teaches us to depend solely on Him. To achieve anything of value in this life, we have to seek first the Kingdom of God.
Everything else is in His hands.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Melinda is a writer who shares her life experiences with God on her blog, www.thedevotedlife.com She also has a self-published book. Melinda attends Gateway Baptist Church with her husband Drewe and two daughters.