Resistant to change? Prayer brings clarity.

What is this world coming to? It certainly isn’t the one I once knew.

Many of us have probably asked ourselves this question and had a similar response. On some level, we may feel surprised that we’re being challenged by change. My grandparents never talked about having difficulty adjusting to driving a car instead of a horse-drawn carriage, or watching TV instead of listening to the radio or reading a book. And having modern plumbing and electricity were considered a privilege, not a problem.

But the rate of technological advancement is increasing, and it often feels as if the world is changing constantly. I catch myself wondering if these advancements that are supposed to make life easier—social networking, automated commerce, smartphones—are making it more difficult. My enthusiasm for many new inventions is not exactly overwhelming, and, because of this, I sometimes feel left behind in the past.

A while ago, circumstances at work and with family and friends pointed to the need for me to reach beyond my comfort zone by learning how to use a computer and interact online. I knew that working on a computer would not make me more spiritual—so, I wondered, what possible reason was there for me to take on the challenge of learning about it? As I struggled with my resistance, I began to discover that there were some metaphysically solid reasons to pursue the world of “today.”

I realized that the spiritual qualities needed to tackle this challenging new horizon were the same ones that impelled me to progress in my spiritual growth and development. The more I was willing to understand God as divine Mind, an unlimited resource, the more I could see myself as capable of learning anything. Nothing could challenge my confidence or desire to learn and grow.

As I prayed, I reminded myself that I wholeheartedly accept the fact that God can do anything. He is the all-knowing, omnipotent Mind, and I am the offspring of that awesome intelligence. I began to see that if I thought of myself as a limited, out-of-date mortal who had turned her back on the changes going on around her, I was not only closing myself off from being able to learn to use the computer, but was also ignoring my capability to express God in fresh, new ways in my spiritual attitude as well. This “closed-door” policy on technology was actually contributing to my perception of myself as an aging mortal. I didn’t want that!

I began to open my mental doors to new ideas and to my ability to accept them. After all, the eager creativity that I saw in the young people around me is a spiritual quality that comes from God, and it truly belongs to everyone—including me. I knew that because I am an expression of God, my ability to grow spiritually is unbounded, manifesting itself in everything I think and do. Why would I want to give up the opportunity to express any of these qualities?

We find many examples in the Bible of people who were faced with the need to change. And so often, by allowing God to lead them through changes, they were able to accomplish wonderful things. On one hand, the Israelites—once freed from their Egyptian captors—had difficulty adjusting to their temporarily nomadic lifestyle, despite God’s promise of “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:3 ). And they spent 40 years wandering in the desert.

On the other hand, Saul, who would later become Paul, accepted Christianity after condemning it and even persecuting followers of Jesus (see Acts 9:1–20 ). You could say that a willingness to change and make progress brought him increased moral and spiritual stature, and a leadership role that was so important to the growth of the early Christian church.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, also had to be willing to embrace change. Her life was constantly being redirected, especially when she was relatively young and dealing with upheavals in her home life. Surely she could not have accomplished all that she did if she hadn’t been open to new ideas and ways of doing things. Later in her life, when Christian Science was establishing itself, she revised her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures over 400 times, searching for the best way to bring out the meaning of her divine revelation.

To me, all these examples point logically to the importance of recognizing and embracing change, if and when the change helps us express God more clearly. We can adopt a willing attitude, praying to see more clearly that factors such as age, declining abilities, and stubborn willfulness are not part of God’s creation.

Mrs. Eddy made countless references to change and all that comes with it. One of my favorites is: “Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea” (Science and Health, pp. 323–324 ). As God’s children, we express the necessary understanding and alertness to listen, to see and embrace fresh ideas. We are never outside of God, so we cannot be prevented from making the progress we need to make. In fact, we are all part of the process of spiritual unfoldment.

As I loosened my thought from the past and yielded to God’s will, praying to have an open and willing heart, I found myself not only being able to use new technology comfortably, but also making efforts to learn about new perspectives from many different places. I started to become more accepting of hearing the ideas of others, as well as appreciating and respecting others even if I didn’t agree with them. Though it’s an ongoing learning process, the knowledge that as God’s children we are all naturally compelled to express our highest sense of right has brought me closer to my church and community. Our purpose and desire is to serve God and not to judge.

As God’s children we are all naturally compelled to express our highest sense of right.

Over time, not only did I come to enjoy using the computer and participating in social networking, but I also came to enjoy the availability of online aspects of Christian Science study, such as the “Your Daily Lift” podcast (see christianscience.com/daily-lift), the bright contemporary music in the Christian Science Hymnal Supplement, and new worship music albums in Christian Science Reading Rooms. I also have enjoyed attending Church Alive meetings and reading Bible commentaries and translations.

The practice of being open to God-directed progress has brought with it a new freedom. My appreciation grows for change and different ways of doing things. Yet even as I’ve seen these new concepts unfolding, one important thought has stuck with me: God’s ideas and messages may take different forms, but they are for all time, meeting the needs of humanity today and forever.