Constancy

Change.

If I had to choose just one word to describe life recently, this would be the one. Change—something that many people love but most of us dread. The thought of change brings with it a number of different connotations—uncertainty, surprise, fear, excitement, discomfort. This past week, I found myself considering these many aspects of change as I reflected on one of my favorite verses in the Bible:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James 1:17

We cannot deny that we live in an unpredictable world, one that is given to change at any moment and that makes us no guarantee of comfort or security. I, myself, am someone who struggles with change. Often, I find it difficult to take my hands off of the wheel and to trust that there is a sovereign plan, especially when that plan requires uncomfortable or terrifying change.

What strikes me about this verse in the book of James—and what brings me incredible comfort—is the sweet promise that we find here in spite of our changing and unpredictable world. What we find here is a promise from our Father, one that offers us security in the midst of change. In Him, there is no variation or shadow due to change.

This verse reminds us that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from Him, and I am convinced that one of the greatest gifts is this promise that we have in the midst of the world’s change—His constancy.

Constancy.

This has recently become one of my favorite words, though it may not be one that we throw around every day. A quick dictionary search reveals the following:

con·stan·cy
ˈkänstənsē/

 noun

1. The quality of being faithful and dependable

Synonyms: fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, dedication, devotion

2. The quality of being enduring and unchanging

Synonyms: consistency, permanence, persistence, durability, endurance

The Lord’s constancy is the ultimate good and perfect gift, and I find every single word offered in this definition to be a beautiful picture of His character. He is faithful. Our Lord will never forsake His promises to us. He is devoted. He pursues us, His people, with a passion and love that we cannot fully comprehend. He is permanent. Our God is unmoving and unchanging—He will never leave us. He endures. He is with us through thick and through thin, through trial and through joy. Through all of this, He endures.

Though our life’s circumstances could crumble at any moment—as quickly as shadows shift or as swiftly as the clouds move past with a change in the weather—our Lord and Creator never changes. He is constant and good, and even when life changes and circumstances do crumble, He is all the more good because He is our one promise of security. He is our rock.

Change.

In light of the promises that this one verse holds—and that the entire Bible proclaims—change doesn’t have to be so terrifying, uncomfortable, or fearful. In fact, we can embrace change. As followers of Christ, we can embrace this unknown because we are reminded that, in the midst of it, we have a Father who fully knows. His constancy is all that we need. It is our good and perfect gift, and that will never change.