Three Sticks — Personal Development for Christians

Change is inevitable. Tomorrow will be different from yesterday. It is guaranteed. So, why are many of us afraid of change? Why do we allow ourselves to become consumed with worry and fear? Fear of change effects organizations as well as individuals.

A recent Businessweek article entitled Where Dell Went Wrong, the author comments on how Dell Inc, refused to acknowledge that the market was shifting and that changes to its fabled business model of hyper-efficient manufacturing, low cost and commodization were necessary for Dell to continue to grow. Unfortunately, like so many of us Dell held tightly to what it knew best, its business model, and as a result is reeling from a series of missteps, low morale and high level resignations/firings. Another more notably example is the American auto industry. Many of us know the story of how Japanese auto manufactures came to the US with relatively high quality, small cars (just in time for the oil embargo). But most people are unaware that the key difference between those Japanese cars and American cars was the manufacturing system that built them. The American auto industry held on to their 50+ year old model of manufacturing where the worker was just a cog in the machine, while the Japanese auto industry relied a new techniques like the Toyota-inspired lean manufacturing system. In failing to embrace changes until it was almost too late, the American auto industry’s fear of change set the stage for Toyota to challenge GM as the largest auto manufacturer in the world.

If organizations that spend billions on developing themselves to compete with the market place can fear change then it is not surprising that you and I can fear change. This is especially challenging in a global world where the rules that most of us grew up with are being rewritten. Although I am relatively young (30), I grew up fearing the Soviet Union and associating war with Vietnam. In some ways that earlier time seems more innocent and simple compared to white collar job offshoring, terrorist threats and rising ambitions of former 3rd world nations.

I believe that we fear change because many of us maintain a mindset of scarcity rather than abundance. When our focus is on what we do not have or what we are afraid to lose, we create in our minds the desire to hold on to the present moment when we know that the present moment is only temporary. This incongruity in our minds causes distress, pain and suffering. Our actions mirror our mindset and so we often strike out against the rising expectations of others. This has played itself out on many stages foreign and domestic. For example, over the last 10 years there has been a dramatic roll back of social programs, most notably affirmative action. The fear expressed is one of scarcity of jobs, college admissions and general opportunity. This is in spite of evidence that these programs were only beginning to make any type of substantial difference in the populations they were meant to help. Another example, is white collar offshoring, where once white collar workers believed they were safe from outsourcing because of their education and skillset, this is no longer the case.

To overcome our fear we have to change our mindset. We have to maintain a mindset of expectancy and abundance. A mindset of expectancy and abundance allows us to view change as an opportunity to grow and prosper rather than something to resist. Fortunately, the bible provides guidance on accepting change and creating a mindset of expectancy and abundance.

In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, Timothy is about to transition from being a trusted follower of Paul to a leader of a church. Paul tells him, “what you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit the was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit that lives in us.” Paul wants Timothy to know that he can make this transition as long as he maintains his faith in God. He wants Timothy to focus not on his abilities to lead, but on his faith in God and God’s grace and mercy to bolster up Timothy as he assumes this new role. We should all put our faith in God when facing a change and know that with him by our side that all things are possible.

In Numbers 13:1 - 14:35, The bible tells the story of Caleb and Joshua who were among the 12 spies that Moses sent on an advance scouting trip into Canaan into Canaan. Of the 12, only Caleb and Joshua came back believing that although the people of Canaan were mighty that the Israeli’s could possess the land because God is mighty and he is with them. Because of their faith, only Caleb and Joshua were able to enter the promised land. When faced with seemingly impossible obstacles its important to remember that God is mightier than any challenge and through faith in him you can grow and prosper.

When you embrace change as an opportunity to grow you can achieve heights previously unimagined. For example, Benjamin Wood, is a highly sought after architect in Shanghai, China. He was asked to help make Shanghai a leading world class city and rather than offer up more of the same lifeless skyscrapers that dot Shanghai’s skyline, he saw the need for change and embraced the idea of creating a livable urban environment that blended the modern with the historic. Since then he has become a recognized visionary in one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world. He is one of many who say the change being brought forth by open markets and globalization and realized that by embracing it the future would be a lot brighter than the past. I believe that if we maintain our faith that we can all follow a similar path to achieving a happy and prosperous future.

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