How Change Happens Part 3

Change happened in me through Great Pain (see post from 11/22)
Change happened in me through Great Prayer (see post from 11/23)

and change happened in me through Great Problems.

I know what could be a problem to great change in our lives?
The point is simple, but not easy.

When we Change we Change, others don't.
Through my great pain and my great prayer I was ready to live a different kind of Faith life.

I felt unloved, alone, and hopeless.
I knew what that felt like. I experienced the frustration from a Christian community that was more concerned with self than the suffering
and I vowed never ever, to purposefully allow someone to feel this if I could help it.
and the faith that I promoted, the Church that I pastored, the people who were supposed to be my friends.......... Didn't understand it.

Pastors, who didn't really care anyway, shunned my change or tried to guilt me into changing back.
Some Church members, who were more concerned with their Traditions, separated themselves from my change thinking that they were going to punish me by their leaving the church.

and this created great Problems.
I loved these Pastors
I loved these People
but I had to chose between them and Loving God.
And so I did.

This caused great problems in the church as many faithful members left the church.
Emotionally this was difficult as many who stayed, didn't understand their choices.
Financially this was difficult as many who left were wonderful faithful givers.
Relationally this was difficult because with a drop in attendance there is less ministry happening.

This caused great problems in the community as well because many of the former members in order to defend their choice had to demonize my change and choices for the church.

But Change never happens if Everyone and Everything Stays the same.
Every change in your own lives, will cause problems with those who are around you.
But when Change is necessary, the problems are inevitable.

But that's not all, check out tomorrows post.