Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9, KJV

It is a rare person that embraces change. Even when things aren’t great, most people prefer their mediocre present to a possibly better future, mainly because they fear that change won’t bring a better future at all, but a worse one.

For example, years ago my late mother was let go from her job of 20+ years. As is often the case when someone loses a job, she was terrified. Although she was never really happy with that job, it was familiar. It was a known entity. It was a security blanket. So, when her security blanket was yanked out from under her, the prospect of change scared her.

As it turned out, the change she feared so much was the best thing that ever happened to her! It wasn’t long before she found another job, and not only did she love her new work, she loved the people she worked for and with. The best years of her adult life were spent at that job, and she was very sad when illness forced her to retire early.

You will face change throughout your life. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that every change will be obviously positive, as was the one my mother experienced. But, God guarantees that every change is positive for believers who place their trust in Him. As Romans 8:28 (AMP) teaches us:

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

If we believe God’s Word, if we really trust God to know what is best for us, and if we believe that God is sovereign (exercises supreme authority) over every aspect of creation, then we’ll understand that change comes to us for only one purpose – to bring us closer to Christ in relationship, and to make us more like Christ in character. Many times the change that brings us closer to Christ is extremely detestable to our human desires. But, if we will but remember that God knows what He is doing, we will be able to bear the detestable until God brings the change to its inevitable, joyful conclusion.

With each change – either welcome or unwelcome – you are taking one step closer to God, whether you realize it at the time or not. So, don’t fear change. Embrace it. Expect it. Welcome it. If you don’t, you’ll experience a lot of fear in your life without needing to.