How to Reset Your Default Response to Change

When I was six years old, I started taking violin lessons. The violin is a difficult instrument to master. Unlike a piano where you have specific keys to press for each note, with the violin you have to develop a feel for just the right spot to place your finger on the strings. Slightly off and you can produce some blood-curdling sounds. If you think fingernails on a chalkboard are bad, just listen to a beginner on the violin!

We had two cats at the time, upon whom this new musical adventure was thrust. The violin came into their home and their quiet naps were now interrupted with the screeching sounds of a six year old trying to play scales. They did NOT react well to this change!

As soon as I’d start, they’d start doing flips – quite literally “flipping out” over this new torture they were being subjected to. Soon they learned to run and hide as soon they saw me take the violin out of its case.

They just couldn’t handle this change to their world. It was too much to bear for their sensitive ears.

How Do You React When Life Brings Changes?

Have you ever reacted this way to something in your life? When the change comes, you “flip out” or try to run away?

The cats never could run very far, but oh how they tried! Maybe your running away is just a small escape. You know you can’t really get away from this trial life has handed you, but you keep looking for ways to escape, even briefly. Maybe you go into denial and just try not to address the change at all.

Or, is your reaction is more like drowning? The pressures, stress and worry build up until you feel you are being crushed under the weight of it all. You feel like you’re going under and won’t be able to come back up for air. You’ve lost your footing and can no longer see dry land.

As my violin playing improved, the cats eventually came out of hiding. The flips stopped and they learned to tolerate this change. I played for six years, so it became part of our new normal and they learned to live with it.

Often, our default responses to change fall into one of these categories: learn to live with it, ‘flip out’, drown under stress and worry, or try to run away. As we continue our study on change, start paying attention to changes in your life and see if you can identify your default response.

What If You Could Reset Your Default Response to Change?

How would the experience be different if you could change your default response when life brings changes or trials your way? What if you could learn to accept life’s changes more readily and stop fighting so hard against them?

When change comes, let’s develop a new response of leaning into the change, embracing it and trusting God to lead us through – even if it’s not a change we want.

Look for the redeeming part of the change.

Find where the change is refining you, growing you, making you better.

Trust God to lead you through the change and trust that He’ll get you through the other side – maybe even in a better state than when you entered in.

Change Is What Moves You From Your Present To Your Future

Learning to accept and embrace the change will only improve the trip.

What is your default response to change? Do you ‘flip out’, drown under stress and worry, or try to run away? What keeps you from embracing change? How would your experience be different if you looked at changes from a different perspective? What if you could embrace the change and lean into God instead, even if the change is unexpected or unwanted?

Next time you’re faced with change, consider your response. We can’t avoid changes or trials in our lives, so why “flip out” or run and hide? Instead, look for how God is at work in the change and lean on Him through prayer and scripture for support through the journey.

This post is part of the “A Better Change” series. For more information on this series and to find related posts, click here: A Better Change Series – Overview