The older I get, the more evident it is that one of the constants in life is… change! There are a lot of things that are changing in the world around us all of the time. A lot of things have changed here in my 15 years on full-time staff at Frontier Camp. In fact, there has been a tremendous amount of change since I was a camper here in the 1970’s! And as FC begins its celebration of 50 years of ministry in 2019, I’m confident that things here will continue to change.
I also know that change is hard. We don’t particularly like change at first, if at all. Camp dogs are one of the many things that campers love about Frontier Camp. There have been a lot of camp dogs here through the years, and it is always sad when returning campers discover that a favorite dog is no longer on camp staff! We get attached and comfortable with things the way they are, and the uncertainty in the certainty of change brings stress and oftentimes fear. We look for security in things that we think shouldn’t change, and become insecure when they do. So are we just adrift on a stormy sea of constant change?
There actually is another constant and that is our triune God. He is “immutable”. That means that He is absolutely unchanging, and unchangeable – God remains the same forever (Habakkuk 1:12, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Revelation 1:8). This attribute of God’s character gives us great comfort in the midst of life’s uncertainties. God’s promises to His children rest solidly on this truth. We can have faith that they will come to pass because God is immutable.
There is more to God’s immutability than just His unchanging character. For example, our unchanging God provides us with change! In other words, He presents changes in our lives as an opportunity to be stretched in all kinds of ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. Why? Because He wants us not to drift but to anchor ourselves to Him in the midst of the stormy sea (Hebrew 6:19). He wants us to set our hope in Him, not our circumstances:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2 (NASB)
Furthermore, although God’s character never changes, the ways He interacts with people do change as we progress from ungodly to godly, and from disobedience to obedience. And He expects His children to change as well. God has placed believers here on earth to represent Him to both a lost and dying world, and to your brothers and sisters in Christ. He wants you to become a better reflection of Him as you grow in faith and maturity.
Frontier Camp’s mission is to evangelize and disciple. That means that whether you come to camp as a camper or as a staff member, we are here to help you change, and to grow in your dependence on God. This is so that life’s changes become things that stretch your anchor chain but don’t swamp or drown you. There will be many opportunities for you to learn and grow here at Frontier Camp if you take advantage of them. We want to model and teach trusting in the Lord so that He can make your paths straight. We want you to look more like Jesus! Change can be good if you depend on an unchanging God!