Mountain View - Afraid of Change By Tom Hovsepian


Writer Author  Church On The Mountain
Christian Column : Christian Living  - Fiction  No

Christian Author Writer My favorite coffee house has a porcelain coffee cup on the counter that has a sign on it; “If you are afraid of change feel free to leave it here.”

Effective in garnering tips no doubt, but it’s also sadly all too true. We are afraid of change, but why?

I recently read the 2010 Barna Research Group’s annual assessment of American Christianity, and the overall picture is that nothing much has changed over the past 3 years since the last study. What Barna reveals is that although 83% of Americans claim to be Christians, those who practically integrate their faith into daily life lowers the percentage to a dismal 28%. They found these trends disturbing in view of the fact that the internet has opened up dialogue of spirituality like never before.

What they uncovered is that talking about faith doesn’t necessarily bring forth the change you might expect in a person’s life. And it started me thinking. Have I changed? Am I afraid of change, and if so why? Finally, I asked myself, “Can I change AND how do I go about it?” I’ve heard Christian & secular psychologists say things like, “people, by and large, don’t change.” Well, like my grandson Teo trying to eat his broccoli; hearing stuff like that makes me want to gag.

There are some fundamental reasons for my gut reaction. One that comes to mind is the fact that when I came to Christ I was brought from death unto new life, and from darkness into light. The changes in my life can’t get much more extreme than that! If going from death to life and darkness to light signaled the beginning of our life with God—how much more the changes that will occur during the continuation of that life?

Paul said it like this in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Now check this out; the word “transformed” which I highlighted in the Scripture above is the Greek word, “metamorphoo.” It means transformation, not just change. We can change our hair color or the clothes we wear but the word used here is much more powerful. It’s the idea of the fuzzy, crawly caterpillar transformed into a beautiful butterfly. It’s not an extreme makeover—but more like the movie “Transformers”, where we see a car turn into a jet. It’s a complete transformation! And the tense used in the Greek indicates that this transformation is a continuing process. In other words, it’s not supposed to stop. And the coolest thing is we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Himself. Wow!

So toss out any notion you may have had to not make New Year’s Resolutions this year. There IS hope for change! In fact, we were made for change. It’s part of who God made us to be, and He is the change agent.

Tom H of Church On The MountainSo have a Happy New Year and think and pray about what you would like to see God do in your life this coming year to bring about some lasting changes. Perhaps it’s a long held dream or secret ambition that you’d like to see fulfilled. Or maybe you’re asking God to heal you. Possibly you just want to break out of a rut. Whatever your desire to change is, remember that this year it doesn’t have to be the “same ol’ same ol’”. This year you can change for good! Go ahead and give it a try.


Tom Hovsepian is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org






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About the Writer Author
State: California
Country: United States
Email: Paulafriedrichsen@live.com
Website: www.churchonthemountain.org
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