Heb 12:26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
2Pe 3:4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
Routine certainly can be a good thing. It is akin to things like self-discipline, hard work, and dependability. When I get up at a certain time (in contrast to the sluggard who is hinged to his bed as Proverbs says), go to work on time, come home when my family expects me…I am using routine in this positive sense.
But when it comes to following Christ, sticking to a habitual, unbending, comfortable pattern resistant to change is inevitably going to hamper that following. Christ shakes things up for us. He invades our world with the unexpected. Think of that day in Jerusalem when the Spirit came, or those miracles Jesus performed. Think of Saul on the Damascus Road or Christ calling the sons of Zebedee to drop their fishing gear and follow Him. When it comes to these things, routine is an enemy – we must let it go.
If you are a Christian and belong to a local church, you can become comfortable each Sunday in an expected routine. For myself, I don’t like novelty in worship – you know, the idea that something different needs to be done each Lord’s Day in the worship service. We have a pattern – a routine – that we follow and we are comfortable with it. But…
…sometimes the Lord challenges our comfort zone and changes things. His changes are always for the good of course, but like the Jews being told that God’s true Israel includes His elect from all nations – when the Lord effects change, our world is shaken.
And in our own individual lives, think of this matter of sanctification. Routine, you see, implies that no change is necessary. But following Christ involves fundamental change at every level. We must be born again for starters. We must cease to go our own way, repent, and follow Him. We must be carved away on by the Holy Spirit as He fashions us into the likeness of Christ. Shake ups like that are painful and even scary. It isn’t fun to be shown our sin that we were blind to and yet the Lord is faithful to effect that change.
So you see it. Following Christ, knowing Him, being in Him – involves change. Lots of change. It involves being a new creation and looking for a new heavens and earth. And that is anything but routine.
Isa 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. (19) Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Excellent post Jeff! It’s a reminder we all need to hear. If there is one thing constant in our life – it’s change! If you are not changing and growing as a Christian- then you need to reevaluate your discipleship with Jesus Christ. Change is seldom easy- and the older you get – the harder it is to do change.
After over 70 years on this earth, I have been through a lot of change- seen a lot in churches as a Pastor’s wife for a lot of my 70 years. You have two choices when change comes- accept it or reject it. If you are in a daily walk with Christ- asking for His Will in your life every day, then those changes will be Christ directed because HE knows what is best for us. Do I always like the change? NO! But as most Christians, I learned the hard way by rejecting the change and doing my own thing – I ended up in a mess.
When I look back at Christ directed change that I accepted – I received some of the biggest blessings in my life. Thank you again- for this reminder.