Some Things Will Have To Change

It’s clear and obvious, but sometimes we’re slow on the up take.

When I was a child (OK, a smaller child), I was eager to grow up and be a man like my Dad. I thought that was the place to be. Getting to stay up as long as you want. Not have to do what parents told you, cos you were in charge now. Getting to wear your own clothes and everything.

It was evident from the start that the journey to get there would require quite a number of changes. For example as I grew physically the clothes and shoes had to be bigger. As my interests broadened I had to find different ways to satisfy those interests. Changes were inevitable as I grew and inevitable to meet the differing desires in the growth.

It’s funny then sitting down as a 37-year old bloke desiring certain things for myself, my family and the church community to which I belong. It’s funny desiring these things and then not realising that to attain these things will require change.

I’m serious. I don’t realise that change will be necessary and I’m not even sure what the cost will be to reach it. Thank God, then for constant reminders of these things. Reminders like the dialogue Jesus has with His disciples before He goes to His crucifixion in John 15. The dialogue that outlines for the benefit of His listeners that God will either junk unfruitful branches, or prune the fruitful ones to be even more fruitful. Either way He is in the business of maximising fruitfulness which requires change.

So here I sit writing this reflecting on my current activities, what I spend my time doing, what I invest my thoughts in, what occupies my passions and pursuits. As I consider these they are under subjection to God’s searchlight bringing to bear the light required to walk in a way pleasing to Him. To follow that path requires change. From the clothes I wear and food I eat, to the time I spend with my children and how I pray – everything is subject to change to be fruitful in reaching the goal He has for me.

That is challenging in itself.

To then see that this continuum should also be the case for the collective – family and church – is even more challenging. Yet it is the case that just as God expects His followers to be fruitful individually, He also expects that be manifest at the community level. Where I am at the moment, particularly on an organisational perspective, I’m not sure we’re always conscious of that. Indeed, I sometimes think that our walk together with God is a haphazard existence, blundering from one crisis to another whilst looking to maintain a semblance of normality.

Maybe we’re going about this whole walking with Jesus thing wrong. Maybe there’s meant to be an expression of what it is to be fruitful that we’re intentionally meant to be pursuing in relationships, in gatherings, in understanding and sharing gifts, in meeting the need that we see in our community and beyond.

Maybe as we go along with that we’ll be more aware of the fact that for that to take place some things will have to change.

Maybe.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden