Change the Channel

Isn’t it ironic that so many of us hunger for something more and better, yet we don’t like to change? I have yet to meet someone who is fully and completely satisfied with life or the way things are around them where no change is needed. And I’m talking about a deep authentic assessment, not Instagram selfies where life is roses for everyone. I think most of us would recognize that there is something broken, either across institutions, companies, communities, or even broken within us ourselves. As my father would say, “there’s always a better way.”

So if we have an appetite for things to change either for our good or the greater good, why is it so hard for us to accept or even pursue change as individuals? Which then makes it even more difficult for groups or organizations to change. From my experience, even the whisper of change that could alter current habits or routines is often seen as evil or taboo. Many of us don’t like to be displaced or disrupted or heaven forbid interrupted from our way of doing things. We pretend our lives are moving walkways pointed in a straight line to more money and more happiness.

But I think all of us know that isn’t true if we’re being honest, and change is certainly not linear. Nothing really is when people are being people and circumstances constantly change around us. Looking at it from another angle, how can we expect not to change when the world is so rapidly changing right in front of our eyes? If our organizations don’t move in sync with the change or if the speed of change is actually moving faster than we are, good luck getting a step up or even keeping up. No one wants to get left behind, yet what are we doing to either anticipate or proactively change things ourselves?

I’d be curious to learn more about the psychology behind the aversion to change or taking risks. I’m sure there are plenty of experts on this and even more self-help books that can offer us with “5 steps to the new you” centered around personal change and enlightenment. It’s amazing to me how big the self-help industry has gotten with very little actual impact or substantial change. What are the stats of people that are sold a new gym membership or promised rock-solid abs in 30 days that actually make the needed changes to get there? They stink, and you’d think most people would figure out that if we’re left to ourselves, we probably won’t get very far.

Which leads me to two ingredients that I firmly believe are necessary for meaningful and sustainable change. And they don’t start with you or me (nor do we really want the weight of change to be dependent on just you or me).

The first and most meaningful is yielding to an unchangeable God who isn’t surprised by any of the change around us or within us. The Bible is clear that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He’s unmovable and often referred to as a rock or anchor. Having a fixed point of focus is critical not only so we keep our eye on the prize, but also so we don’t get off balance or dizzy or just drift away into oblivion.

And the second is rallying together with a community of like-minded people to walk with us and help carry the load while also keeping us accountable and on task. Quite possibly the biggest reason people can’t effectively change even when they want to is that they ride solo. Movements of change may have a face or a leader, but they never actually go anywhere without a group of people moving and rowing together.

Just think of the biggest change the world has ever seen, which started with 12 average young fishermen who were initially scared of their shadow when they thought their Agent of Change was dead. But when Jesus shows up again on the other side of the tomb and the Spirit subsequently lights the fire of clarity within them, thousands immediately started following the Way. In one day. And the world has never been the same since.

So what’s eating at you that needs to change, either personally or professionally? Are you comfortable with the status quo, or is there a stirring within you to make something better? If you’re stuck seeing the same movie over and over and you’re finally getting tired of the same old script, it might be time to change the channel. After all, we’ll never see any different results if we don’t do something different.