A compilation
Download Audio (10.9MB)
Like most people, I like predictability. Change can mean stepping into the unknown and losing my comfortable routine, and that’s frightening. It also means I have to give up some control. That’s scary too. Even when you prepare as well as you can, there are so many factors involved that you just can’t control them all.
“Change always comes bearing gifts,” wrote Price Pritchett, but I’m sure we’ve all sometimes wondered if those gifts were worth it, and if it might not be better—or at least easier—to forgo them instead of having to deal with the discomfort of change. Then again, we often don’t have a choice; changes have a way of coming upon us whether we want them or not.
One thing I’ve experienced recently, though, is that change is so much easier to go through with God than on our own!
God knows all things, including the future. He can prepare us in ways we couldn’t prepare ourselves, and He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). He’s never surprised by the bend in the road or the turn of events, and He is able to guide and equip us for what’s ahead, even if we don’t recognize what’s happening at the time.
God is in control. Knowing that the being who created us and will fulfill His purpose for us is on our side can be just the shot of confidence we need in order to face whatever happens (Psalm 138:8). “If God is for us, who can be against us?”(Romans 8:31).
Perhaps one of the most important realizations God leads us to in times of change is His unconditional love for each of us. When change is difficult, scary, or hurts, He remains by our side. His love never wavers, and He wants only the best for us. Even though we go through innumerable changes and experiences that shape and ultimately modify our character, He remains constant, supportive, and ever dependable. He’s the best friend we could have … and that’s one thing that’s not going to change: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).—Ronan Keane
Gauges and indicators
Last summer I killed our van. No one saw it coming. I was driving along at the peak of summer—and also at the peak of rush hour—completely lost. In the middle of crawling traffic, my air conditioner stopped working. I thought it was just bad luck that I was stuck in traffic and my car had no AC, so I did what I often do when things are going wrong: I powered through.
I finally got my GPS to work, finally got to where I needed to pick up my kids and started driving home with the windows open. On the last bit of my drive home, I started hearing a strange sound. I knew there was a gas station about two miles ahead, and so I pushed on to the gas station. By the time we pulled in, our car was smoking; the billows of oil-laced smoke announced our arrival to everyone around.
Within minutes, I was surrounded by several guys who had taken notice of my obvious “damsel in distress” situation. It didn’t take them a second to figure out that the radiator was dry, the car seriously overheated, and very likely the engine cracked.
One of the guys showed me the indicator on the dash called the heat gauge. It was flailing around at the high end, indicating that the engine was way too hot. The heat gauge was probably indicating the problem to me long before I pushed the overheated car to run for 60 miles in the middle of a blazing Texas summer.
If I had paid attention to the warning signs and checked the heat gauge, I would have noticed that it was getting too hot. I could have pulled over and figured out how to add some fluid to the radiator. That simple little action would have saved our car. The wisdom of hindsight!
I learned an important lesson through this experience that can be applied to life. God has implanted in each of us gauges that tell us what we need—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When we start to feel weary and worn out, we need to pay attention and take time to replenish our spirit and spend time in communion with God and His Word.
Sometimes it’s so hard to resist the desire to “power through,” and in doing so, we can ignore the danger signs. Jesus understands this temptation and taught us how to manage our stress points:
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
According to Jesus, we aren’t always supposed to be feeling like we need to take control and “power through” situations. When we feel heavy laden—which basically means weighed down, overburdened, overwhelmed, or stressed—we are supposed to go to Him and He will give us rest.
Learning to listen to our gauges and pay attention to our indicators helps us to tune in to what our body, mind, and spirit need to survive and thrive. Taking time to commune with God and seek His guidance will equip us for whatever comes our way in a day. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).—Mara Hodler
Living a life worthy of His calling
One of the central questions that philosophers and theologians have struggled with for millennia is the mystery of what gives life meaning. Everyone wants to be happy and fulfilled, but how can we tell what true happiness is and where it comes from?
The ancient Greeks believed that the source of happiness was internal and could be cultivated by living a worthwhile life. They called this state eudaimonia, which Aristotle described as taking part in activities that draw on our talents and challenge our abilities, acting in ways that benefit others, and guiding our lives by principles and virtues. It isn’t enough to simply possess an ability or disposition—eudaimonia requires it to be put into action with deeds.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he urges the Christians there to live a life worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1). He goes on to explain that this is done through being humble, gentle, patient, loving, and peaceable toward those around them (Ephesians 4:2–3).
Living a virtuous and principled life sounds good. Unfortunately, as humans, our imperfect nature often makes us unable to achieve this on our own. As believers, however, we can draw on God’s power to help us go further in transcending our limitations. “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect” (Psalm 18:32).
Solomon, supposedly the wisest person who ever lived, also discovered the futility of a life lived only for self and this world, but he hit on the solution. At the end of his search for meaning and happiness in the book of Ecclesiastes, he concludes, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear [honor] God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The more we learn to put God and the well-being of others at the center of our thoughts and actions, the more meaning and purpose our lives will have.—Ronan Keane
Published on Anchor January 2026. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Fogarty.
