COLOR in Times of Change

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

We are in a culture and community of constant change and we need to learn how to COLOR in the lines of our changing times. As a culture, we have experienced two completely different styles of government, mass shootings in diverse places, a continuing splintering of ideology on matters of social justice, and the infiltration of social media in our most private and personal times. I would say that change was upon us…

As a community, we are constantly changing as well. Any business from the mom and pop storefront to our universities and corporations are feeling the tight grip of change. Our demographics, diverse opinions, and values continue to unite or divide us depending on where we land. For sure, change is upon us…

I was a stay at home mom for over 20 years when I needed to find a job pretty quickly. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work full time, but it was 3 months before my heart stopped dropping into my stomach as I left my youngest daughter getting on the bus by herself. It was 18 months before going to work felt normal. Change was upon me…

C. – Control what you can control. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Whether it’s changes at work, finances, relationships with significant others or family members—if we aren’t careful, we can fall under the trap of victim-like thinking. However, we have power over our circumstances when we recognize that we can control what we control. For some of us this could be our attitude and outlook on life. Regardless of what is happening around us, we don’t have to succumb to the sadness of “there’s nothing I can do about this situation.” Instead we can focus our efforts on what we can do.

O – Open up to your new normal. (Philippians 3:14)
Sometimes when things begin to change around us, we struggle with “well, this isn’t how it used to be.” There comes a time in each of our lives when we must let go of the past and press our way into a new and uncomfortable future. It’s not painless nor easy at all because many of us worked very hard to maintain our comfort zone. Sometimes we can do all the right things with the best of intentions only to find that our life journey is making a sudden left turn.

L. – Listen to others who can help us adjust to change. (Proverbs 15:22)
It was our parents, coaches, teachers, professors, and/or leaders who invested their time and energy for us to succeed. We may need to humble ourselves and ask for help, direction, encouragement so that we can adjust our minds and expectations for the future. We can listen more humbly to the world around us. If we are going to adapt to change, we must be willing to humble ourselves and listen to those around us from a variety of backgrounds and age groups.

O – Optimize your skills and talents. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Everyone born has a purpose for being born and it’s up to the person to dig deep enough to discover the gifts and talents that lie within them. The time to optimize our skills and talents is now—not just when we see the change in our work environments—by that time is often too late to catch up. Optimizing our skills takes intentional effort. It won’t just happen because we want it to. It won’t happen if we keep doing things the same old way every single day. There’s a risk to digging deep because once you hit the

R – Remember the brevity of opportunity. (James 4:13-14)
Life doesn’t end because of a job change, a divorce, or anything that brings change to our lives. For all we know, life will be better if we allow ourselves to take advantage of opportunities when they arrive. Why not live the life you were meant to live? I’m not talking about pursuing selfish ambition—but tying into your gifts and talents that impacts the world beyond you. Not just in our jobs to up skill as much as possible or in our pursuit of being lifetime learners, but also to remember the value of appreciating those who are closest to us while we have the chance.