Virtually every week I come across folks who long for the simple life of yesteryear. But everything depends on one’s perspective.
Some people look back and remember only the best of times—an easier pace, closer ties, cleaner movies, and deeper, more honest relationships. Others remember the worst of times—inconveniences, prejudices, and inefficiency. When you stop long enough to think objectively, though, you realize that no time is ideal. The times are what they are, and either we learn to flex and survive or we become rigid and irrelevant.
I mention the word flex, and some people cringe. Others resist, planting their feet firmly in the status quo. But as long as God is still in control of our times, change is not to be feared or fought. Consider David’s confident declaration:
But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand. (Psalm 31:14–15 NASB1995)
What assurance! If we truly believe that our times are in God’s hand, changes would not be so difficult to accept. Nor would they cause us such anxiety. Everything from modern inventions to global alterations could be taken in stride because He—our faithful God—is in control. Nothing surprises or threatens Him. Nothing!
No president or prime minister takes the oath of office without God nodding and saying, “That is My will.” No advancement in technology or science catches Him off guard. God is sovereign; He is never out-of-date. He is still in touch, always in control, and fully aware.
The reality of God’s sovereignty sparks a couple of thoughts. First, times may change but our message never will. God’s truth is our foundation, and if that collapses, well, everything is lost. David lamented:
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)
But God’s foundation will never crumble. Earthquakes may rock our cities, but there will never be a “truthquake.” There will never be a day when God will say, “You know, I’ve been rethinking My Book. Some of those truths I preserved about Jesus, well, I need to have someone today rewrite them. Also, a few of the character traits about Me and some of those doctrines in My Book need to be updated.” He will never do that. His truth is more solid than a 10,000-ton mound of granite.
Second, the possibilities that change brings are thrilling. Think of the excitement and efficiency of a missionary in a remote jungle using a palm-sized computer to record spoken syllables and then translating them into a tribe’s first written language. Think of the possibilities for the instant transmission of the Gospel through the Internet. Years ago, people had to travel for days (sometimes, weeks) to preach Christ in person to a handful of people. But today, we can post the teaching of God’s Word on our website (insightforliving.ca), and folks all over the world can access it at their convenience.
But remember, no amount of futuristic technology gives us the right to change God’s message. The truths of God are our sure foundation. Keeping that in mind, it is our goal to stay open to the need to flex our communication methods.
Imagine the millions of souls whom God can reach through the clatter of a keyboard and a few clicks of a mouse!
Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, “What Changes and What Doesn’t,” in The Bride (Grand Rapids; Zondervan, 1994), 109-124. Copyright © 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
