Transition – Embracing God's Process of Change

Transition is a process or period of change, from one state or condition to another. Whether moving from childhood to adulthood or from one season of life to the next, changeover from the known to the new brings excitement, apprehension and stress – yet for the believer it is God's appointed pathway to growth.

Change Is Part of God's Design

When moving from childhood to adulthood, many changes take place in the physical body. Puberty marks the transition, as the body matures, hormones surge and emotions can fluctuate. Certain behaviours that were once acceptable in children are no longer so, and new responsibilities should take their place. God works through seasons – "to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" (Eccl 3:1) – and recognising the season we are in helps us embrace its changes rather than resist them.

Focus less on who you are today, and more on who you are becoming

In our Christian walk, we should be in a continual state of change for the better – growing more into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18). God loves us, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He desires we embark on a journey of transformation – to become the new creations we are meant to be, and to reflect His nature (2 Cor 5:17). We must co-operate and deal with the root issues in our heart, with our sin-tainted nature decreasing while God's good nature is increasing (Jn 3:30). Paul calls it putting off the 'old self' and putting on the 'new nature' (Eph 4:22-24). This process starts with an event – the decision to become a Christian – yet becomes a lifelong pursuit of growing in righteousness. No aspect of our person or our lifestyle will be exempt from the Lord's refining.

Lessons from Israel's Transition

The Israelites left Egyptian slavery for freedom, but spent 40 years wandering the wilderness. They did not transition well. The journey that should have taken a matter of days became four decades of circling (Deut 1:2-3), because when they reached the border of the Promised Land they refused to go in, choosing unbelief over obedience (Num 14:1-4, 22-23). Their bodies had left Egypt, but Egypt had never left their hearts: hardship made them long for the 'leeks and onions' of their old life (Num 11:5), and they murmured against God at every turning point. An entire generation therefore died in the wilderness, never entering the blessing that was already within reach. God's stated purpose in the delay was to humble them and test what was really in their heart (Deut 8:2) – a sobering reminder that how we handle transition, not the transition itself, determines whether we enter what God has prepared.

Times of transition are never comfortable, but will always reveal your character and require obedience to be successful. During these times of change, learn from the Israelites – watch your thoughts and words (don't murmur and complain), and stay close to Christ, recognising that greater faith is needed now than in the past. How others are transitioning will spill over and affect our transition – we must have a firm foundation in Christ so we are not swayed by peer pressure.

We are not what we once were, but not yet what we will be

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Hold onto the positive. It's easy to be negative and resist change, yet God is always seeking to lead us forward into new territory with Him, though this depends on our co-operation to make the right choices and progress along the path of life. It can be unsettling, but there needs to be a commitment to "obey as we did in the past" (Josh 1:16-17). Keep your eyes on Jesus and envisage the future blessing, not the inconvenience of the present (Heb 12:2-3).

He is always transforming us and moulding us to be something different than we are. God is the potter and we are the clay that He is shaping into a vessel that, after the furnace, is ready for use (Isa 64:8; Jer 18:6; 2 Tim 2:21). The potter's hands press and turn the clay continually, and in the same way God works on us through His Word, His Spirit and the circumstances of life – transition is His thumb on the wheel, re-forming what was misshapen. The clay must stay yielding in the potter's hands for the shaping to succeed: where Israel hardened, God reworked the vessel rather than abandoning it (Jer 18:4). The furnace that follows is not the potter's cruelty but the vessel's completion – the fire of trial sets the shape and proves the work, so that faith refined by it proves more precious than gold (1 Pet 1:7). Only a vessel that has been shaped and fired becomes one sanctified, useful to the Master and prepared for every good work (2 Tim 2:21).

Yield to His workmanship rather than resisting it

Reflection and Application

Thank God that He loves you too much to leave you as you are.
Identify one 'old self' attitude to put off, and its 'new nature' replacement.
Guard your thoughts and words during seasons of change – refuse to murmur and complain.
Fix your eyes on Jesus and the future blessing, not the inconvenience of the present.