When Change Is No Longer An Option

My pastor shared a book with me by Long and Chand. The title is Rechurch. This book had six key facts that we should put into practice in our daily walk when a change is needed. A change that is needed to transform our way of handling our business.

Let's look at the first fact: Pre-contemplation. Pre-contemplation often starts with a dream a thought that has taken root in your head and refuses to go away. It's like a song that you keep singing, but wish you could stop singing. No matter what you do the thought remains and becomes an intricate part of your thinking. As the process festers, you slowly move to the contemplative stage.

Contemplation propels you to talk to someone intelligently about the thoughts that have become a constant companion. You begin to make sense of why you can't get these thoughts out of your head. Perhaps there is a purpose a reason for them to have found a resting place in your head. The thoughts begin to take shape. Something you can focus on and bring to fruition. Ideas flow and a picture comes into view as if you were painting like an artist working on a masterpiece. Your imagination soars as you make the choice to do something with your thoughts.

Now that the Decision is made a plan is formulated. You begin to assign words, sentences, paragraphs and for some pages of what your project should look like. The sharing of the plan when presented to others affirms the direction you're going in. Because of those affirmations you move closer to the completion of your thoughts. It's time to put your plan in action.

Action requires you doing something. Not sitting down with your feet propped up waiting for something to happen on its own. For some, action is seeking out people, places, knowledge, finances and whatever it takes to make the plan go forth. You must take action to do something if you want your plan to take flight. Give your plans wings so it can soar in the clouds of your imagination.

When you have done the first four key factors then you move to Follow-through. Here is where you determine what needs to be sustained. Follow-through must be a repeated process. It makes the process doable but not to the point that it becomes institutionalized. In order not to become just doers and maintenance people you must Re-contemplate what you have done.

Re-contemplation requires revisiting your dreams, your goals your plans. You will need to determine if what you started out doing is still working, needs to be changed or tweaked. Here is where you ask the real questions. This is the time to strategize, find out how to bring about a change that will maximize your original dreams.

Finally we should look at Re-contemplating by Re-tooling, Re-structuring, Re-ordering, Re-covering and then Re-connecting. This book has 68 short pages that are packed with information that can help you move forward in your life as well as your church life. I encourage you to go on a reading journey and as you unpack each garment of truth when you return; apply the principles so that you will be well on your way to Re-tooling your life.