Why Do We Fear Change?
From a religious standpoint, I hate change. I wish that we could be the 1950 and 60’s church I grew to love. In those days everything was black and white. There was no gray. Everyone marched in lock step. In reality, deep thinking was not the norm. We grew up hearing the same lessons tied to the same verses of Scripture. We could write down 20 sermon titles and almost guarantee that we would hear one of those subjects in Sunday morning’s lesson. There is a certain degree of comfort in everything staying the same.
The problem is society and culture does not remain the same. If you don’t believe that society changes just ask the Amish or Mennonites or for that matter certain congregations of our brotherhood. As society changes we must adapt in order to remain relevant. The pat answers we gave in the 1950’s and 60’s don’t answer the questions of this millennium. As a church we lose our relevancy when we answer questions that are no longer being asked. When our religious values are about meeting our needs instead of the needs of our society we are doomed to extinction.
I keep asking myself, “Why do I fear change?” It has taken some soul searching but I think I have a few answers that might apply.
First, change requires deep study. It is easy to stay the same. As long as the subject matter stays the same I know the answers. If you change the questions, as change does, I must learn new things. This requires that I think outside my “religious box”. It is so much easier to continue to discuss the intricate details of the Edsel than to relearn the new models.
Second, I fear that if I change my friends will frown upon me. We are a people who want acceptance. As long as we talk the same, think the same, and act the same, we are accepted. If we allow ourselves to become different in the least way we stand out as different. The shell of acceptance no longer surrounds us. We fear being outside the shell. We don’t want to face the consequences of change and being outside the accepted shell of our grandfather’s thinking.
Third, we think we have this religion thing down pretty well. We have worship figured out. We think we understand what man must do to “earn” God’s salvation. We understand the church and its government. We think we even understand some basic issues of morality. As long as we live in our comfortable shell of “religious sameness” we know the answers. Just don’t force me to go out into the world. It is their responsibility to come to me and conform to my standards. Don’t ask me to take Jesus to them. Meeting the world in their environment means my 1950’s answers may not fit the questions I am going to face. My answers are so much better before I have to match them up with real life questions!
When your attempt is to actually be an ambassador of Jesus in a real world environment you face many risks. You may have to actually think and learn again. It may be that your friends call you names like “change agent.” They may even question your “soundness.” You may be told you have gone off the “deep end.” When we leave the shell of our church walls we may see that our “pat answers” don’t fit the questions the world is asking. Such a shame, I have learned these answers so well!
Wow! I would think you were worshipping at our place if I didn’t know better! Great article!
Dell,
I wrote a long response but it got lost in cyberspace. It basically said that we are are really good at restricting people from being what God wants them to be. We are good at setting up criteria by which we can reject others. It’s a good thing that God is full of mercy and grace and patience. We would be toast otherwise. See ya, Dennis
You are so right! “Thinking outside the box” makes eyebrows raise and makes people question what planet you’re from. When questions are asked that the “pat answers” do not answer–things get complicated. We MUST go to the Bible for the answers and STUDY without preconceived ideas. Really look at what the Bible says. We must get outside of our safe walls and go out into the world. How else can we fulfill the comission given to us by Jesus.
jc in Slackland
What is so very ironic about our aversion to change is that any time God interacts with humanity, we are called upon to change. In effect, it seems to me that all of our lives, God is wanting to transform us into his image with ever increasing glory - that sounds like change is a constant. I think our willingness to change is a reflection of our faith in God’s reign and an unwillingess to change is a reflection of our trust in ourselves to “get it right.”
Don Morrison
Hope I can have a nice blog like yours with so many visitors everyday.