HOW TO COPE WITH MAJOR LIFE CHANGES

  Meditating again on II Cor.1:3-11,

Reroute your purpose.

 I was reminded of a thought,  to view CHANGES as opportunities.  Life is full of unexpected surprises and problems that like it or not are a part of human adventures.  CHANGE is not always welcomed and often provides an opportunity to grow, testing our faith, testing our strength of endurance and demonstration of God's PEACE in our lives. 

Will we permit what God permits?

             "...But what God permits, He also uses redemptively.  The question is:  WILL WE PERMIT WHAT GOD PERMITS?  We to often pray: 'Lord get me out of this mess.  But the Lord may be saying 'LET ME INTO THIS MESS. Permit me to CHANGE YOU rather than your circumstances."  Daily Bread 6-5-99

                    Perhaps looking on CHANGE as an adventure and having a "discovering" attitude will ease the reality of a CHANGE or CHANGES that one knows will not go away.

"...who can straighten what he has made crooked?"

 What is so perplexing about CHANGE is that there are so many types of CHANGE.

  There is so much emotional pain and upheaval.  CHANGE is very personal and cannot be measured by any other person except God.

Change is a shock at times

 "CHANGE is a shock because it destabilizes the life you've made for yourself to this point...All habits and routines are up for questioning when CHANGE interferes." ~Anon

 

                    CHANGE can actually awaken the quest for re-examining our hearts and evaluating what truly matters, to perhaps renew or strengthen our relationship with God, seeking His wisdom in matters.   God uses CHANGE to CHANGE.

  He uses His unchangeable,unperishable Word and stabilizing character to bring unchangeable PEACE into our hearts and lives.

Peace will guard the heart.

              So how do we cope with major life CHANGES?     Here are a few practical things: 

  1.Flexibility, be open to trying new things. (Prov.19:21  "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

  2. Present, stay in the moment, focus on the present.

  3. Gratitude, count your blessing.

  4. Acceptance, you can choose a godly attitude and acknowledge what you cannot control. (Eccl.7:13 " Consider what God has done:who can straighten what he has made crooked.")

Accept, Acknowledge, consider

  5. Let PEACE rule in your heart. (Col.3:15 "Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you are called."

  6. Be steadfast in mind.  (Isa. 3:4  "The steadfast of mind Thou will keep in perfect PEACE, because he trusts in Thee..."

  7.  Leave complaining behind.  (Phil.2:14 "Do all things without grumbling or disputing,  Num.11:1  "The people became like those complain of adversity...and it displeased God.") 

Enjoy the road while traveling.

 Reroute your purpose in life---God wants to use our stories, our adventures for HIS GLORY.

  Let's take time to enjoy the road we are traveling.

CHANGE SHAPES CHANGES

 What's around that next bend may just take our breath away and we will be left standing there scratching our heads in perplexity wondering why PEACE is not ruling, our minds are not steadfast, we are counting trials instead of blessings, and living in the past.  Are we just reacting to the CHANGE or shaping our CHANGES?