Navigating Change Part I

As I write this, the world around us seems to be changing very quickly.  There is a deep sense of urgency around us as stock markets fall, schools close, work dynamics quickly change, and our very health is in jeopardy. 

Job was a character in the Bible who dealt with similar tragedies.  

In a single day, his business, his employees, his assets, and his children were taken from him.  Finally, Job’s health began to suffer and Job’s very life was seeming to fade.

While I’m not promising these similarities will remedy the struggles you currently face, I would like to take you on a journey to see how Job in the Bible navigated these difficulties with wisdom, tact, and integrity.  

This is not a chronological study, nor will we go through every chapter, but I would like to walk through some key Scriptures, observations, and applications that may still apply to us today.  

As we rediscover the book of Job, I pray we all find peace, strength, and resolve to march forward amidst some difficult circumstances. 

Scripture I

“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.” – Job 1:20 NLT

When times get tough, many of us are tempted to deny or ignore the real situation around us.

Job had the humility, and the gut level honesty, to recognize the real situation.

Failure to recognize what is happening often leads to a delayed response to current realities.  

Scripture II

“Praise the name of the Lord!”’ – Job 1:21b NLT

Despite serious setbacks including his own negative emotions and grief, Job decides to put on an attitude of gratitude. 

While many people see obstacles, the leaders among us who overcome them look intently for new opportunities.

Like before in verse 20, it does not mean that we don’t see the real present struggle, it simply means we also look beyond it.  We find ways to rise above the current negative circumstances. 

Applications:

1. No change can begin unless we are able to take an honest evaluation of the present.  
   • In finances, honest evaluation looks like a budget.  
   • In relationships, honest evaluation often looks like communication.  
   • In discipline, how many episodes of Netflix did I really watch?  How many hours of entertainment did I really attend today? 

If we are never honest with where we are today, we likely won’t get where we want to go tomorrow. 

2. What are you truly grateful for?

Maybe you’re like me and you find gratitude exercises hard or you don’t “feel” grateful in the moment.  

What could you be grateful for if you took three minutes to lose sight of present circumstances and focused on the good?

Prayer:

God, give us strength to navigate the changes that appear before us. 

Grant us wisdom to navigate the difficulties that come our way, in Jesus’ name, amen.