Why Change is Difficult (Part 2)

Last week we talked about change being difficult because of the uncertainty that surrounds it and because everyone feels like they are dealing with it alone.

The third reason why change is difficult is because most people tend to focus on what is lost rather than on what is gained through the change. In Matthew 19:16-30, Jesus addressed a wealthy young man who could not see past his temporal wealth to the eternal wealth he would gain by giving up everything to follow Jesus. Serving leaders help followers refocus on the future.

A fourth reason change is difficult is that people can process only so much change. So pace a person’s growth and development according to what they can handle. Set priorities and achieve milestones along the way. For example, in Mark 9:14-29, Jesus took his disciples to a higher level of understanding after they couldn’t cast out a demon. He hadn’t explained it to them earlier as they weren’t ready back then; they needed some experience first at a lower level. In John 16:12-13, Jesus had more to share with his disciples but they weren’t able to bear it yet. Hence his Spirit would guide them into all truth in the future.


A fifth reason people struggle with change is due to lack of resources. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus instructed Peter to pay taxes by going fishing and extracting a coin from the first fish he caught. In John 14:1, Jesus instructed his disciples to not be anxious but to trust in God. Serving leaders encourage both creative thinking and absolute dependence on God.


[Next week we will finish our discussion on a serving leader’s role of introducing change into followers’ lives despite their difficulty in accepting it.]