Have you ever been in a place where you knew change was coming but you were afraid to acknowledge it? With change comes a level of risk along with times of uncertainty and unknowns. How do you cope with change when you know God is leading you? Read more for 5 tips for coping with change with 19 scriptural promises from God to guide you.
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“I think it’s time for a change,” he relayed, with a mixture of frustration, anger, and weariness written across his face.
I had sensed it for a long time, but had been waiting for confirmation from the Lord.
Maybe I had that all along, but fear of change kept me from acknowledging it. I can’t really be sure.
Can I be honest? I think I have a tendency to get caught up in the obsession of sameness.
I’m not a huge fan of change. It always takes me a while to warm to the idea of something new, something different, some kind of change…even when it’s my own idea.
Change – Significant Change
With change comes risk. With change comes uncertainty and unknowns. With change, often comes grief over what is lost or left behind or will never be.
And yet, when you know God is leading you to change, the only certain response is obedience. Disobedience always meets up with uncomfortable consequences. And delayed obedience is still disobedience.
So when the Lord led my husband and I to make one of the most difficult decisions in our 30 years of marriage, it was hard because it involved change.
Significant change.
Surrendering what was good without knowing what was next and even better. Ultimately it was a question of whether or not we would trust God in the change and in the wait until He revealed the next step.
To everything there is a season
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV)
Clearly, a season in our life was coming to an end. But unlike the predictable change of seasons in nature, we had no clue what the next season held or when it would begin.
So what do we do when God tells us it’s time for a change?
5 Tips for Coping with Change
1. Well, first, we trust God.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Proverbs 30:5)
2. Then we wait. But waiting isn’t inactive…it’s very much an active engagement with God.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
“Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3 NLT)
“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalm 130:5 NIV)
3. Remain in open communication with God through prayer.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:15)
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)
4. Continually praise God through the wait.
“God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever.” (Daniel 2:20)
“Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you.” (Deuteronomy 10:21)
“The LORD is my strong defender; he is the one who has saved me. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will sing about his greatness.” (Exodus 15:2)
5. Listen and watch for God’s direction.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
(Luke 11:28)
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)
“Look at the nations and watch– and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
Ultimately, commit your path to God, knowing that if He cares for the sparrows, He will care for you. You don’t have to have the whole roadmap ahead of time as long as you trust that God does. He assures you, “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).
How do you walk through seasons of change with Him?
Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Your article came at a timely moment when change is happening in my life. The Lord has given me clear direction to move to my sons’ location in order to be a help in their lives with four grandchildren that are so precious to see and be with. I live four hours away by car, and it is hard to drive there alone each time there is a birthday or holiday event. My husband has no desire to go to their homes as he feels more comfortable in a big city life. I now feel with the stress that exists between us, it is better to go there and help with the care of the grandchildren, ages 3-9 years of age. I waver in my obedience to the Lord’s directions, but I see that delayed obedience is one of disobedience in God’s eyes. Thank you for your clear thoughts about change. It is my intent to move, but not to leave my husband. Pray for me.
Father,
I pray for your precious daughter. She desires to be in your will. Sometimes what is hard about that is waiting for your clear direction. But I know that you know the plans you have for her–plans to prosper her and not to harm her, plans for a future and a hope. I pray you will bring unity in this family, and clear direction that most assuredly comes from you. You tell us in your word that if we lack wisdom, all we have to do is ask you for it and you will lavish us with it. Lavish this family with your wisdom. I ask all these things, in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
Change can be so hard! But I love one of your tips about waiting — waiting isn’t inactive! YES! So often we confuse waiting with lounging around (physically or spiritually) until something comes along to move us. But that is not what God asks of us (most of the time!) Waiting is a verb . . . active and alive!
Rebecca,
It has taken me a long time to learn that “waiting” is “doing” exactly what God has told us to do. It is active, and it is an act of obedience that He will honor. Thanks for visiting! #HopePrevails
Wow! This one hits really close to home. I hate change. Hate it. But I know it’s necessary. Your post is a great resource and reminder for me. Thank you!
Oh, gotta tell you I loved this line: ‘Then we wait. But waiting isn’t inactive…it’s very much an active engagement with God.’ So true.
This message is so good! We have gone through some major changes in our life. Marriage, children, job change, ministry change, health changes, children leaving home, growing older, redirected work and ministry and we are in a season of waiting on the Lord’s provision for the direction He has given us BUT just as you said, we are NOT inactive but VERY active in life and ministry as we wait for our next step in His plan. These insights just brought even more of life right now into focus. Thank you, dear Michelle, for your continual encouragement and always pointing us to the truth of the Word of God. You are so loved and appreciated.
Thank you Michelle, this is a good blog post. I will translate and print it out. You know, after three difficult years (death of my father, obstinate daughter and burnout of my husband, corona in the country) it is difficult to deal with the fact that everything is back to normal now. So now I have to pretend that everything is normal again? Your blog is helping me a bit.
Thanks for this!
Thank you for sharing these 5 tips to cope with change. I’m not a fan of change either. Sometimes it takes me a while to process and acclimate myself to it, but then I’m good