Progress Means Change

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

　
Progress means change, but does change always mean progress?

I work at an insurance agency. We have a data management system that keeps a record of all our data. Recently, the data management provider initiated a new version of their system. Previous to the change, we received daily reminders that it was coming and although there would be changes, it would be much better – more efficient, user friendly - blah, blah, blah.

Personally, I don’t like the changes. Just because they changed it doesn’t necessarily mean it is progress. But if you look around the world we live in, the one constant is change. So even though I don’t really like change, I adapt the best I can. How do you respond to change? Do you embrace it, or grudgingly accept it? Do you see change as progress or regress?

Human nature seems to fight change. Think of the Israelites as Moses lead them through the wilderness. After generations of oppressive slavery they were freed only to complain to Moses how they wish he had left them in Egypt. "Oh for the good old days of slavery in Egypt when we had to produce twice as many bricks with half as many resources". Does that sound familiar?

The writer of Hebrews recognizes this human trait.

"There is much more I would like to say along these lines, but you don’t seem to listen, so it’s hard to make you understand"
The Hebrews would rather not change. They like things just the way they are, "Thank you very much".

"You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others, but instead you have dropped back to the place where you need someone to teach you all over again the very first principles in God’s Word."
God loves you just the way you are. He loves you with all your warts and blemishes. He loves you with all the ugly sin in your life. He loves you despite everything you have done in your past.

And in that love, He wants you to become all that you can be. He wants you to grow in your faith. He wants you to become more like Him. In a word, He wants you to change. I think that change will always mean progress.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%205%3A11-6%3A12&version=TLB;NIV
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Heb.5.11-Heb.6.12