"All things change, and we change with them." – Chinese Proverb   
Or, if you prefer in Latin: "mutantur omnia nos et mutamur in illis".

The world just changed into a new year.  The number changed by adding one to the previous 2011.  The month changed from December to January.  And today changed from the 2^{nd to the 3rd of this month.  Everything changes all the time.}

Well, almost everything.  Most man-made objects probably don’t change.  My work cubicle is just as unwelcome as it was when I left it last year. The computer is still slow, and the job sometimes seems mundane and repetitious.  BUT, eventually, even these things will (or can) change.  A new day may mean a new challenge.  A new mission may mean a new approach.  A new year may mean a completely different way of life. 

2012, like any new year, is an opportune time for change.  Most of us Christians most certainly have things we did last year, which we could do differently and better this year.  As we read our Bible over the next few months, we will probably see, if we take note, some examples of how the early Christians changed as their environment did.  The book of Acts records several people who accepted Christ as their savior as the newly formed church grew.  Starting with 120 disciples at Pentecost, the church advanced rapidly into the thousands.  And as they did so, the individual people in the church changed their lives drastically.  They sold their goods and gave to anyone in need; they met together daily, breaking bread and praising God; and they changed the way they worshiped the Almighty (see Acts, Chapter 2).  They began to go out in droves to spread the Good Word of the Christ.  They began to deny themselves luxuries and started helping each other.

Kit Cummings wrote a book I am now reading, "Unshackled-Diary of a Prodigal Son".  In it, he tells of his own life, beginning with a tumultuous childhood being reared by an abusive drunken father.  He tells how he exhibited those same ugly traits as his dad as he changed from a teenager to a young 20’s-something.  He relates how he changed when first entering the ministry.  But then, he also continues his story when he left the ministry and once again wallowed in the valleys of despair, drunkenness and a ruined marriage.  After a few years, he had had enough…he knew it was time to change.  To find out what he did, and the results of that decision, I highly recommend you buy this 130-page paperback book by a disciple of Jesus whom I have heard speak at Christianity events in Georgia.

Kit changed his life for the better (twice).  The Fayetteville Church advocates that each of us has some tumultuous sin in our lives that we should probably identify, and change in order to remove it.  This change should probably include denial of some luxuries, ways we worship God, how many times we spend with other disciples and how often we spread the Good Word of Jesus Christ. 

The Chinese had something with their proverb.  And like Biblical proverbs, we can each learn something about it.  As we grow older, many, many things change, not only our bodies, but our knowledge, our environment, and our behavior.  As life around us changes, we must also do the same.  THINK of some way YOU can change this year.  Think of how you can better yourself as well as the people around you by doing things a bit differentlyin 2012.  Even if you fail to completely change as you wish to, at least you will have made an honest effort.  And in that vein, I often tell a story with its own proverb ending.  An abbreviated form goes like this (in my old Vermont accent):

Walter was running for a small Vermont hillside town mayor many years ago against the incumbent, Francis.  Walter had the habit of riding his "English" bicycle (as they called the 3-speed bikes in the 60’s) through that village by coasting while going downhill, but at the same time, peedeling (Vermontese for pedaling) backwards (as the English bikes had no foot brakes).  When Francis and Walter were debating on some town issue during the election, Francis told Walter (and the audience) that ‘he seemed to be peedeling backwards most the time’.  To which Walter replied, "It is bettah, to have done it backwards, than nevah to have done it atahl."

So, change. Try to, anyway.  It took Kit (at least) twice to repent of his sinful ways (as he slid backwards at least once). It may take each of us even more attempts to successfully change a behavior to the good, but as Walter says, "is est melior facio is tergiversatio , quam nunquam facio is procul totus".