Don’t Try to Change Me!

“People don’t resist change, they resist being changed.” _Peter Senge

*****

On a recent family vacation I tried an experiment.

During a family devotional time I asked the question: “What change would you like to see?”

Then, beginning with the grandchildren, we started around the room giving our answers. All the answers were admirable: a world without Covid-19, no more wars, less arguing and more understanding…all good and worthy answers.

But my experiment also proved a sneaky suspicion I had—not one of the answers had anything to do with changing ourselves.

Peter Senge was right, people don’t resist change, they resist being changed.

People don’t resist change, they resist being changed.

Matter of fact, as long as others want to make changes that do not inconvenience us or better yet make our lives easier and better we’re all for it.

Spruce up your yard? Paint the house? Knock yourself out–just don’t start to early and disturb my sleep.

Our favorite restaurants see the need to change so that we can get our food quicker we’re all for it.

We celebrate car companies for making our cars more comfortable, safer, and fuel efficient (as long as it doesn’t compromise the power and speed).

Change our phone to give us more coverage, memory, and interesting feature? Sure, as long as you don’t raise the price very much.

Adapt to a changing environment by offering curb service? Hurray!

The government pivots during a pandemic and wants to send a check to help us through the downturn? Here’s my address!

But the moment we are asked to change…now that’s a different story.

Honestly, I suspect that is why so many struggle with Jesus and the religion he founded. Jesus insists that we be changed. He uses high-powered expressions like: Repent, be converted, die to self and be born again.

Yikes! That’s way too much change and that is giving up way to much control to someone else.

We are glad to let Jesus feed us, heal us, bless us, and inspire us—just don’t ask us to be changed.

Bottom line, there’s a lot of clamor for change in our world today. There’s just not that many striving to be changed.

The ONE THING for today:

See a need? Have a concern? Don’t shout from the roof top that something or someone needs to change, you be the change and see how it changes the world.