Knowing that change is hard for everyone and we are prone to resist change due to that stubborn nature, and also maybe fear, in this season of consecration our prayer must be, “Oh, how I love You, Lord. The depth of Your wisdom is unsearchable, but You can and will help my infirmities.”

“Who among us wouldn’t like to have a success story like Abraham’s? He had fame, great riches, and ‘was even called the friend of God’ (James 2:23 NLT). It doesn’t get better than that! But Abraham’s story begins with these words: ‘By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.’ How on earth did he do it? By faith! Why do we resist change? Doubt and fear! We fear personal loss. Anytime change is imminent, the first question that pops into our minds is, ‘How will it affect me?’ For example, suppose a co-worker approaches you and says, ‘I just heard the boss is thinking about laying off some people today.’ Is your first thought, ‘I wonder what market conditions triggered that decision?’ Or is it, ‘I bet he feels bad about having to do that!’ No, probably your first thought is, ‘Am I at risk?’ That’s simply human nature. The moment we are confronted with change we can quickly feel alone and helpless. Where do you find strength in such moments? In God! His promise is: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”” (Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV). Relax! That which is unknown to you is fully known to God. And the One who has always taken care of you has already gone ahead to prepare the way (see Deuteronomy 31:8).” – Taken from UCB Radio’s Word For Today

So, where is the fear of declaring God’s stand against evil, but we’d rather join the complainers!

We are to pray for discernment of the right time to give the witness of what needs to be done for us to experience the change we so much desire for our country and rightly so! Timing is so important. The Bible says: ‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven… He has made everything beautiful in its time’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 NKJV). If you’re thinking of making a change, talk to God ‘the timekeeper’ and ask Him 1) what should I do? and 2) when should I do it? Then step out in faith and trust Him to guide you!

Being a witness comes as a change we resist because:

“1) Because it feels awkward and uncomfortable. When was the last time you tried something for the first time? Can you name it specifically? If you can’t remember, your comfort zone may have turned into a rut. A sign on a wall contained two statements. The first had an X through it. It said, ‘If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it.’ The second read, ‘If it ain’t broke – break it!’ Sometimes the only way to ‘get out of the box’ is to break out.

2) Because we cling to tradition. The Pharisees could not receive the truth Jesus shared because they were bound by their traditions. And many of us still cling to tradition. Drawing from a UCB quote, “We assume that if something is a tradition (a long-established pattern of behaviour), it has to be a better way. That’s not necessarily so, as change agents like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford demonstrated. Question: how many traditionalists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: four – one to change it, and three to talk about how wonderful the old light bulb was! Bottom line: when a tradition connects you to other people or to your personal history, it can be good. If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to try something new. The Bible says, ‘The way of the righteous…shines ever brighter until the full light of day”.” – Taken from UCB Radio’s Word For Today

Remember the same is said in our starting text in Proverbs 29:18 (LXX), There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is blessed. Also Proverbs 4:19 (NLT) says,

But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

So, what changes do you need to make in your life to be a witness to the power of the Breaker who can lead this nation out of this state of continuing servitude (Micah 2:13)? Selah.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele