(presented by Lisa Bishop)

For some of us change is invigorating and for others it can feel intimidating. For some change feels adventurous, and for others, well, we like what feels safe, comfortable and predictable. What is your reaction when you experience change?

When I think about change, I think about the story of Moses in the book of Exodus. As a bit of a refresher, when Moses is shepherding his father-in-law’s flock in the far side of the wilderness, he comes to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the Lord appears to him in a bush that is burning but not consumed by the fire. God calls out to Moses from the bush, tells him that he has observed his people enduring suffering and oppression from the Egyptians and tells Moses that he is the one God will use to free the Israelites from Egypt and bring them into the promised land. Reacting out of fear Moses says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God responds, “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:11-12).

Needless to say, from this point on, Moses’s life is altered, the course of his life is changed forever.

As the story unfolds and as Moses’s fear of future confrontations with Pharaoh builds, his faith also waivers. He mutters, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” God’s rebuttal is strong and he says, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-12). Even with this strong assurance from the Lord, Moses still pleads for God to pass him over and use someone else for the challenge ahead.

You may be asking, “What does this have to do with navigating change in my life?” I am glad you asked. You see, there may be times in life when you are called to make a course correction or when God calls you to make a change in life that provokes fear, a sense of inadequacy, or downright resistance. Moses’s story reminds us that in the midst of change, God is near. In fact, in the midst of Moses’s fear and flailing faith in the face of change, from shepherd to deliverer, twice God tells Moses, “I will be with you.”

Is there an area of your life that you need that same reminder? That whatever you are facing, God sees you?

When you face uncertainty, you can be tempted to default to fear rather than lean into faith. So let this be a reminder to you today that whatever your circumstances, whenever life throws you a curveball, God says, “I will be with you.”

(presented by Lisa Bishop)

Have you ever heard the saying, “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”

In other words, sometimes the pain of staying stuck in the same old place needs to be greater than the temporary suffering the change itself may induce.

Maybe you have been thinking of making a career change, taking better care of yourself physically and mentally, or giving up unhealthy or ungodly habits that no longer serve you or honor God. But up until now you have not been willing to lean into what will be required to change. Because let’s face it, change, even positive change, can cause a degree of suffering, and who likes suffering?

That’s something we try to avoid in life. Often with change comes suffering because it requires some type of sacrifice. We need to give something up to invite the new in. Such as giving up comfort, time, being right, being liked, a feeling of security. Change often demands reordering of priorities.

And often, in order to embrace change, we also need to be willing to embrace discomfort and a letting go.

When I think of life as a follower of Jesus it is a life where we are constantly growing and changing. Once we are “in Christ,” everything changes. Our ideas change. Our perspective changes. Our values and actions change to line up with God’s Word. As the Holy Spirit works within us we find, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “the old has gone, the new is here!” And we are commanded to walk in the newness of life. The Christian life is an ongoing series of changes as we grow in knowledge, faith, and holiness. As we grow in Christ, growth requires change.

What change have you felt a nudge towards making in your life? Where do you sense God calling you to let go of the old to walk in the new? Remember that God will never contradict his Word so whatever change you are feeling led to, know that God will not ask you to do something that goes against holiness, righteousness, and the truth and instruction of the Bible.

Where is God calling you out of your comfort zone and into trusting him? What pain of change are you willing to endure to experience growth and transformation?

Take some time to get quiet with God. Seek his Holy Spirit for wisdom and courage, ask Jesus to help you as you say “yes” to the change he is calling you to.

(presented by Lisa Bishop)

Are you in a season of change? Are you embracing it or is this season inducing some anxiety or fear?

We all experience change. Sometimes we initiate it and other times we find ourselves in an unwelcome and unanticipated season of uncertainty.

Whether invited or unwelcomed…change can induce worry and anxiety. I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a bit of a control freak. Comfort and certainty can be idols for me, so when I am in the midst of change and I am uncertain about the future, I can often feel out of control, and I don’t like it! Instead of leaning into God I can tend to settle in to worry

When we worry we feel fear and concern because something unpleasant is happening and we don’t know when or how it will end.

Or we think that something bad could happen, and the “what if’s” kick in. Your mind gets into a negative spin cycle of worst-case scenarios and you try to be a predictor of the future. The thing about worry is that it is always fearing what could happen. We conjure up all of these scenarios in our minds, most of which never come true. In fact a recent study says that 91.4% of what we worry about never comes to fruition. When we worry, in some way we falsely believe that our worry can change our circumstances. We know that worry is a waste of emotional energy, yet we are all prone to it. The fact is worry cannot change outcomes.

So what do we do when change induces fear, worry, and anxiety to rear their ugly heads?  We can look to the gospel of Matthew to refocus our thoughts and remember the words of Jesus.

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear….Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?....Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25, 27-28, 33-34).

What is an area of your life that you are lending too much mental and emotional energy to by worrying? What current or impending change is causing concern?

Bring your cares to Jesus and remember, worrying won’t add a moment to your life. When you experience concern for the future, turn it into prayer and praise that Jesus sees you and knows your needs. Discipline your mind and heart to look to Jesus where your help comes from. He is your ever-present help in times of change.

(presented by Lisa Bishop)

We all experience change. If we didn’t we would not be growing, life would be stagnant. When I think about change there are two categories that come to mind. Change that we initiate or change that we experience being thrust upon us that isn’t necessarily welcomed.

I know quite a few people who are in the midst of a career change. Some friends have lost their jobs, while others have decided to leave their current job for something new. Change can be exciting. It can also be scary. Change can feel liberating, it can also be anxiety producing, regardless of whether or not you initiated it.

In the course of life, one thing is true…change is inevitable. So, the question is, what do we do when change feels overwhelming?

One thing is to follow the old saying, “Take it one day at a time.” While it is important to have vision for the future, and an overall direction for where our next phase of life or career is headed, it can oftentimes feel overwhelming when we just focus on the big picture. We can feel flustered, frustrated, and even a little bit paralyzed.

As you experience life change, ask yourself, “What can I do today to move me towards my vision and goals? What action step can I take now that will propel me in the direction of what is next?”

For example, if you are in the midst of a job search and find yourself panicking about the future, what are the steps you can take today? Maybe it’s getting help writing your resume or applying for five jobs online. Perhaps it’s taking a course that will help you to be marketable or reaching out to friends to help you make connections in your field of interest. Maybe it’s going to a networking function. When the future feels overwhelming, daunting, and even impossible, approach it by taking on just a little at a time.

And if you are currently in a space of fear, anxiety and overwhelmed, remember to anchor yourself in Jesus. While your circumstances may be changing and uncertain, remind yourself of this truth from Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” While the future may feel uncertain in the midst of change, Jesus never changes. He is faithful and trustworthy. He is a reliable companion in the midst of life altering change. Jesus is with you and will help you. The Holy Spirit will give you wisdom when you ask him.

So, do you think you could ever honestly say, “Thank God it’s Monday” and look forward to going to work? Maybe you’re thinking you could if only you had a better boss. If you work for someone who is difficult or demanding or unfair, going to work can seem pretty tough some days. Perhaps the thorn in your side at your job is a coworker or coworkers who are not so easy to get along with. It could be their work habits—or lack of—or their negative attitudes. Sometimes it’s their lifestyles, vulgarity, and foul mouths that make jobs unpleasant. You may have gone through downsizing and lost your job rather unfairly. That can make you pretty cynical. So, going to work just becomes a matter of putting in your time. “I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go!” and that’s about it.

In addition to difficult bosses and coworkers and unfair treatment, how about unpleasant work environments, heavy workloads, stress, pressure, lack of appreciation, lack of success, insufficient pay—to name a few! Most jobs have enough of these to make them pretty miserable. So, how could those dwarfs sing “Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to work we go!”? How could anybody honestly say, “Thank God It’s Monday!”?

Most people have the attitude that work is something we have to do whether we want to or not. Work is what we do in order to acquire all the things we want or need. Work is more often seen as a curse rather than a blessing.

That’s really sad because until sin entered the picture, work and work environments were ordained by God, blessed by God, and ordered by God. In short, we were created to work. And that’s where we get our dignity as humans.

Notice when you meet someone new how prone you are to ask, “What do you do?” Well, that’s because what we do is our identity to a great degree, and God so intended it. Our dignity does not come from what we have, because we don’t have anything. The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1a). You may think you own some stuff but think again. As Paul told Timothy: “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7).

But God intended that our work would be a part of our identity, and that’s the way it was originally. But once sin entered the picture through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, everything good that God created was corrupted, including work. The Garden of Eden, the first workplace created by God, was corrupted by sin, and your workplace has been corrupted by sin. The reason we don’t often say “Thank God It’s Monday” is because of the curse that was placed on work after sin came on the scene.

You'll find that curse in Genesis 3 where God said to Adam:

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground. . .” (Genesis 3:17b-19a).

Paraphrase: You'll have to work, like you've been doing, but now work is going to be full of difficulties. You'll earn your living, but the thorns and thistles will make it unpleasant, and it will be painfully toilsome at times. Your work will be hard and make you weary and tired.

And this curse which God placed on work way back in the Garden of Eden is passed on to us today. Work is full of painful toil; you have to do things you don't like to do or want to do. You have to do work that is boring or unfulfilling. Your work may seem mundane or painfully toilsome.

Work is full of thorns and thistles; things that upset you, irritate you, and make the job unnecessarily difficult. The unpleasant coworker, the impossible boss, the demanding customer. They stick you and prick you and ruin otherwise good days.

Work is full of the sweat of your brow.

What are the five greatest spiritual dangers we face? I’ve offered what I see as the answer to this question.  First, there’s the danger of self-sufficiency, then self-deception, self-esteem, and self-confidence.  And today we finish with number five,

Self-Satisfied

I’m sure you’ve noticed the common theme in all these dangers: self.  We are our own greatest dangers in many different ways.  And here’s one that is very subtle but very dangerous: being satisfied with yourself.

Are you satisfied with where you are in your walk with God?  If so, you’re not likely to grow very much.  We need a holy dissatisfaction with where we are so that we will seek and find all that God has for us.

The Psalmist wrote: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2a). Those are beautiful words that we quote and sing, but do we actually ever pant for God like a thirsty deer?

Now, this doesn’t mean that we live in a state of frustration or lack of peace.  No, as A. W. Tozer writes: “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. . . I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still.”

If your walk with God is at a stalemate and you’ve been satisfied to just get by, I want to tell you you’re in great danger of missing so many good things, because, dear friends, the sweetest blessings, the greatest joys are found as we get to know God better and better and pursue him as our highest ambition and greatest achievement.

So, if you’re in that self-satisfied, mediocre, neither-hot-nor-cold stage, pray that God will stir up in you a hunger and thirst for righteousness so that you are not satisfied with where you are spiritually and you push on to discover all that God has for you and wants to do through you before your life is over.

I hope you’ll remember these five great dangers:  Self-sufficiency, self-deception, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-satisfaction.

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Have you ever thought about the spiritual dangers you face? I’m listing what I see as our five greatest dangers. Number one was self-sufficiency, two was self-deception, and three was self-esteem. Number four is:

Self-Confidence

It seems to be a universally accepted belief that we all should have self-confidence. But Paul wrote to the Philippians that we who are believers, who glory in Christ Jesus, should put no confidence in the flesh. He went on to list all the reasons he could put confidence in himself: he was from the right family, had the best education, had demonstrated great zeal and abided by the laws flawlessly.

But he said, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:8-9).

Why is self-confidence a great spiritual danger? Because it erodes our faith and trust in Christ alone. Any time we start thinking that we can do something on our own or feeling as though we’ve achieved some position by our own efforts; any time we are confident about ourselves or our abilities, we are in a dangerous spot. That’s when we think we are standing firm, but instead we are most likely to fall.

I’ve noticed over the years that when a big event is coming up, a speaking engagement, a retreat, or whatever, usually the week before God has a way of reminding me that if I think I can do this on my own, I’d better think again. I’ll do something really stupid, or forget some detail, or get angry at someone and say something I shouldn’t—something like that. And I’ve decided it’s God’s way of whispering in my ear, “Don’t let your self-confidence become your Achilles heel; place no confidence in yourself. Remember, I use weak and foolish things of this world.”

Self-confidence is a great danger, but God-confidence is powerful. I’m confident he loves me and always will. I’m confident I can go to his throne with boldness at any time and he hears me. I’m confident that because of Jesus I have eternal life with God. And I’m confident I can do all that God wants me to do through Christ who gives me strength. That’s not self-confidence; that’s God-confidence.

Here’s a third danger that believers face in their walk with Christ.

Self-Esteem

That sounds very strange, doesn’t it? How could self-esteem be a danger? After all, everywhere we turn we hear that we have to have good self-esteem and feel good about ourselves in order to have a good life.

Well, there are two key problems with our search for self-esteem:

We’re looking for the wrong thing.

We’re looking in the wrong place.

Self-esteem—feeling good about yourself—is a biblical oxymoron, a self-contradiction. The Bible tells us that our own natural selves are sin-infested and capable of nothing good. We learn that even the best things we can do look like filthy rags to God. So, feeling good about something that is inherently sinful and selfish is looking for the wrong thing.

For ten long years I searched for self-esteem and tried so hard to feel good about myself. I thought a successful career would do it, but I achieved that and found it empty. I thought the right relationship with a man would give me those good feelings, but relationships came and went, and none of them brought me the fulfillment I wanted. I bought homes and clothes and accumulated things and recognition, but the more I piled on what was supposed to bring me good self-esteem, the emptier I became.

If you’re looking for self-esteem today, you’re in the same danger I was in. It’s a dead-end road taking you nowhere but to emptiness and disappointment. Let me encourage you to abort that fruitless search and instead, set your heart to know God. Jeremiah wrote: “’Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Set out to know and understand God. The more you do, the better you will feel about yourself. I promise you—it’s true. Good self-esteem comes as a by-product of knowing God better and better and appreciating who you are in God’s eyes.

What are the greatest spiritual dangers you face? I’m pointing out what I believe are our five greatest dangers. Here’s danger number two:

Self-Deception

My pastor once said that the problem with deception is we don’t know we’re being deceived. Now you may think that is self-evident, but most of us don’t really think about the fact that if we are deceived, we don’t know it. For if, indeed, we knew we were deceived, we would no longer be deceived. Knowledge of the truth drives out deception.

Many people are self-deceived because they want to be. They don’t want to face the music and see things as they really are, so they purposely remain in deception. For some, the refusal to know the truth is their way of trying to avoid the pain that could bring. For example, I may choose to be deceived about my inability to get along with people and tell myself that it’s not my fault, because I don’t want to face the fact that I have a problem. So, I deceive myself in order to avoid the pain of admitting I have a problem.

Of course, as long as I choose to be self-deceived, the problem gets worse not better. Only truth will set me free from such a problem, but I have to face that truth and then respond appropriately.

Others are self-deceived because they don’t know the truth that will prevent the deception. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” How do you know when you’re hearing the truth or something deceptive? You measure it by the truth standard, the Word of God. That means you have to know the Bible well or you can be easily deceived by the empty and false words of all kinds of people.

Any time we live in deception, we are in great danger. I may be deceived into thinking there is water in an empty swimming pool, but upon diving in, neither the sincerity of my belief nor the innocence of my motives will prevent me from being killed by diving into an empty swimming pool. What dangers do you face today because you are deceived? Are you indulging in some self-deceptions? I encourage you to pray daily that God will reveal any deceptions in your life and show you the truth that will set you free from self-deceptions.

I want to tell you what I believe are the five greatest dangers you and I face in our walk as believers.

Self-Sufficiency

If you buy into the common belief that you are all you need, you are in great danger. Yet, that is considered a very worthy and admirable attitude by many people.

I well remember a conversation I had with a very successful businesswoman who had climbed the career ladder very fast and very high and earned lots of money and recognition. She said to me, “I don’t need anyone but myself. I don’t depend on anyone but myself. I have learned that you have to take care of number one and not rely on others.”

Even though she doesn’t recognize it, she is in great danger because the facts are, she is not self-sufficient, regardless of her track record or accomplishments. You see, we may be able to get by with our self-sufficient attitude for some time and we may fool ourselves into believing it is true. But there will always come a time when you face the reality that you are not sufficient.

Death certainly is one checkpoint that shows up the fallacy of self-sufficiency. The Bible says “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). This is one place for sure where we have to admit our inability to help ourselves, and instead place our trust totally in the Lord Jesus Christ. His death, burial and resurrection assure us that, through faith in him, we can face death knowing that beyond the grave is an eternity with God. But you can’t do that on your own. No one is self-sufficient when it comes to dying. We are dependent on God.

The Apostle Paul had to learn that he was not self-sufficient, even though he was well educated, had the right credentials and was totally devoted to serving Christ. He faced a disability that showed him how insufficient he was. But he learned the great truth that God’s grace was sufficient for him, for God’s power is made perfect in weakness. If you want God’s power to be made perfect in your life, admit your weakness, confess that you are not self-sufficient, and know the wonderful freedom of operating in God’s grace, which will be totally sufficient for you.