It’s always our assumptions that lead us astray. Yes?! We all know this but we all will insist on doing it anyway. Why? Order. We all seem to need a way of structuring our interactions and actions. It appears to be the foundation to ‘make sense’ of our world. So is it all bad? All is the word that needs defining. If we insist that (fill in the blank) continues to be precisely what they were the last time we were with them … then, it is that bad.
If you remember scripture, God told us, “I change not.” (Malachi 3:6). The reason, purpose God was saying this was to give comfort and a foundation for relationship with Him. When you read this particular chapter, God is reminding the people that: He chose them, they left Him and not the other way around, He wouldn’t leave them but they had to return to Him, etc. He was giving assurance to the people that He had not left them. This is also our comfort, that He is always here and available to us when we turn to Him. But His statutes, His ways, are not negotiable – He changes not.
Change is one of those big words that many people have great problems with because there is so much change in so many areas of our lives that we have trouble standing on a firm foundation. However, our Lord is a firm foundation on which we can trust. Why? Because God has also told us:
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should
repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He
not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)
However, as is indicated – man does not do this.The reasons are various: new information leading to new understanding, lies, deceit, etc. When we operate on assumptions, we say that the other person/situation will remain in a status quo. We don’t remain in a status quo! So why should we ever expect others to do so. Yes, it does provide us with a foundation to operate from as long as we allow for growth, and don’t expect no change.
Assumption can be viewed as the frame of a house… but the front may become the back and a one story home become a 2 story. Simply be ready for change – don’t expect it but don’t run from it when it emerges… you might just discover something about yourself in the process.
