Being Adaptable: It Ain’t Easy (March 25, 2009)

“The only constancy in life is change.” - Anonymous

If there has been one great change in my life lately it is the need for adaptability. Now, you may say, “How much more adaptable can you become? You have been through a career change, a job change, a relocation, joined a new church, made new friends, etc…” Well, I am here to say you can go through all that change and hardly adapt at all. You can drag your prior habits, attitudes, thoughts, prejudices, work patterns, etc., right along with you – wherever you go or whatever you go through.

“Inflexibility is one of the worst human failings. You can learn to check impetuosity, overcome fear with confidence, and laziness with discipline. But for rigidity of mind there is no antidote. It carries its own seeds of destruction.” – Anonymous

You don’t have to change, nobody can really force you. Change comes from the inside – not outward experiences and circumstances – you have to decide for yourself if you are willing to change, to adapt. If you don’t adapt, you will create stress. You may create stress in your own life or you may create stress in the lives of others. Probably both – and it is a sure path to destruction – destruction of your own peace of mind and/or relationships. In the words of Michael McGriff, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.”

Please don’t get me wrong – I’m not talking about wavering in your foundational beliefs. Sorry if it offends you, but I am rock solid on my biblical beliefs and with God’s strength, no amount of argument will ever change those beliefs. There is a time to stand steadfast and a time to be flexible. What I am talking about is working with other people and being part of a team. Teamwork and personal rigidity just don’t mix.

The Apostle Peter was a great example of what can happen when people are willing to change. Peter was adaptable. Initially he was a die-hard Jew, unwilling to associate with those unlike himself. But in time he learned to accept newly converted Christians not from the Jewish faith, as brothers in the Lord. He learned to associate with what he previously found detestable – because his belief in Christ was stronger than his belief in man-made traditions. In Acts 10: 34-35 Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.” As a result of Peter persuading his fellow Christian Jews to do the same, millions of non-Jews have been saved by Jesus.

Quincy Jones once said, “A person’s age can be measured by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea.” Sad, but true. The older we get, the harder it is sometimes to make the changes we know we should. How adaptable have you been today? Are there people around you that need you to be more flexible, more adaptable? Can you help them by leading by example – by being adaptable? It will make your life less stressful, improve the relationships you have, and increase your team’s productivity. Give it a try.


Please comment below or email me at csonger@new-communitychurch.org