Sharon and I were talking about hairstyles this morning, and observing that the new trend for teen boys is to have a wave across their bangs. When I was a teenager, how my hair looked was pretty important because I felt I had to fit in with the latest fashion in order to be accepted and valued. I went for the “John Denver” look when I was in high school and graduated to a mullet in college. When I met Sharon I had a mullet and a tail, which I still sported when I began my ministry here at TCC. I don’t keep up with the latest hairstyles anymore, but it’s a good example of how our world, what we perceive to be important, and the standards we judge people by, are always changing.
Changing fashion trends may be relatively harmless, but there are other, weightier matters that also get caught in the revolving door of change, and can do much more damage. With each new election cycle a new set of issues is set before us as of utmost importance, yet as the years pass, whether the issues are resolved or not, they seem to fade into the background and are replaced by others that are also, at least for a time, of the utmost importance. The same is true in regard to the way we think about ourselves and our well-being. In the 90s, multiple personalities were all the rage. In today’s world, sexuality and gender seems to be the hottest trend. Gender identity, sexual orientation and preferred pronouns are hot topics that the “cool” people (notice the dated expression) are all into, and children are being pressured to decide what they think and who they are as it relates to these issues before they even reach puberty. We can only imagine the kind of damage will be left in the wake of this latest trend.
Surrounded by a world chasing after the latest trends, it can be tempting to think of God in the same way. A number of years ago I had a conversation with a nurse in my doctor’s office who, upon learning that I am a pastor, expressed her belief that God should keep up with the times. I can’t help but wonder, do we really want a God who is influenced by the latest trends, as we are? A God who follows us, rather than a God we can trust to be able to rise above the ever-changing standards for acceptance in a “trendyland” world, and see clearly what is true and good?
The writer to the Hebrews tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Because he does not change we can trust that he will never change his mind about us. As the psalms repeatedly say, his love for us is steadfast, enduring forever (cf. Ps. 136). An unchanging God also provides an anchor for our souls. As the wind and waves of change swirl around us we need not fear. Whether we are “in” today or “out” tomorrow doesn’t matter because, for those who are in Christ, God’s word is always “Yes—For all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ…and it is God who establishes us in Christ” (2 Cor. 1:18-21). I am grateful that I don’t have to keep up with the constantly shifting sands of “trendyland” in order to be confident that I am loved and valued. There is one who holds me firmly in his heart, and he will never change his mind about me. That’s a kind of love we can build our lives on.
Pastor Jon