Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, and look new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 HCSB

Change is a word that used to strike fear in my heart. When I get into a routine and it’s a good routine, I don’t like to change it. If it’s not broke I’m not going to try to fix it. Perhaps this was why I lived so many years of my life holding on to parts of it that were causing problems. There were things in my life that needed to change. But there’s that dirty six letter word again.

We see it in others and we criticize it. We see people who seem to live their lives in chaos and wonder why. We often are blinded to the sin that we live with and hold on to. We often don’t see the troubles that it causes in our own lives until it gets really bad. We are comfortable with it until it takes us too far and keeps us too long.

We get very comfortable with whatever circumstances we become accustomed to, even if they are not so good. We can be resistant to change even if it is what’s best for us. That’s the only way I can describe my life before rededicating it to Christ.

As a child, I was raised to love the Lord. I was raised in a home with one parent who was saved and devoted to the Lord and one parent who was not. That brought about some chaos at times, but for the most part things were good. I was raised in church and grew up believing the Bible and loving the Lord. I accepted Christ as my savior and was baptized at the age of 12 and I believe this served me well through my teen years. I didn’t drink or smoke and can proudly say that I have never used any type of drug including marijuana. I can honestly say that I believe that this was all due to my mom and my paternal grandmother’s influence and my consistent church attendance. It was probably also attributed to a healthy fear of my heavenly father as well as my earthly father.

But, then all that changed. I started college and started working for the Sheriff’s office and I began to backslide. I would go through years of backsliding. I attended church at least a couple times a month, but I didn’t have the dedication I had as a child and young teen. This would go on for almost 20 years. I grew very comfortable in my chaotic world where I tried to live with one foot in the church and the other in the world.

But, then all that changed. There came a time when I simply couldn’t take it any more. I had to turn to Christ. I had to give it all over to Him. I had to trust Him with it, even if it meant that I had to let go of sin that I had grown comfortable with. Looking back now, I realize that it wasn’t so comfortable. It always came with problems. It led to drama. Honestly, it had become about as comfortable as I imagine a bed of nails would be. I had to make some changes.

I couldn’t make these changes on my own. It was too much for me. I had sunk in too deep. I needed God to pull me out. I needed Him to help me change my life. I had to trust in Him whole heartedly. I had to love Him with all my heart. I had to give it all over to Him and trust Him to work it out for me.

I will admit that there were some growing pains. I went through some rough times. I still do. But the biggest change that came about is I am not alone. I don’t face these hard times alone, God is right there with me. He is there to comfort me and guide me through. He helps to navigate me through the fire and the flood. He brings me safely to the other side.

I no longer have times of confusion and chaos in my life. If it seems as if a situation is headed that way, I turn to God. I give it to Him. What a relief that is.

The moment I cried out to God and told Him that I was giving it all over to Him, the good, the bad, and the ugly it all changed. It changed for the better.

If you have grown comfortable with chaos and turmoil, know that at some point it will become very uncomfortable. We were not made to live that way. We were made to live in fellowship with God. We were made to love Him and trust Him and bring Him honor and glory and praise.

I have become very comfortable in His loving embrace and I promise you will too.

Have a great day!