Hidden Power of Change

The prophet Isaiah put into words the truths we, like the Israelites, must remember when contemplating any aspect of life, and his words are very useful when we are specifically discussing how we should look at change. Isaiah, speaking to the Nation of Israel, gives the people assurances from God that He (God) will restore them to where they needed to be. Isaiah tells them to trust God through the changes that life has, and will, send their way,

Now this is what the Lord says— the One who created you, Jacob,

and the One who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name; you are Mine. I will be with you

when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched

when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.

For I Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

(Isaiah 43:1-3, HCSB).

The comparison of Dwight Bain with Isaiah would be foolish at best, but to understand how Bain’s approach to counseling fits into the Christian mold would be highly useful. Much like Isaiah, Bain paints a picture in his writing called, Hidden Power of Change that makes clear that change will happen and it will happen fast, it will involve discomfort, and often times it will be painful. However, Bain (2005) tells us, much like Isaiah does, that God is always there with what we need when we need it to make change a positive experience. The first step we make when embracing change is the hardest, but Bain (2005) states that God waits for us to take the step, and then He (God) steps in and guides us on our journey.

            Bain focuses, in this writing, on just about every aspect of change one might could think of, and many times he seems to be repeating himself. The overall theme of his work follows along the same idea as the writer of Hebrews,

Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to

teach you the basic principles of God’s  revelation again.

You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is

inexperienced with the message about righteousness,

because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—

for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil

(Hebrews 5:12-14, HCSB).

Bain writes that change is necessary, and without it, “real life is lost” (Bain, 2005). Bain stresses that in order to grow, and experience a fulfilling life we must learn how to manage change in our life.

            In this writing Bain puts forth a litany of change related ideas. When reading this work it is easy to get caught up in almost a speed reading adventure. Like his description of change come at us fast, the layout of the article lends itself to fast reading. It is almost as if he planned it that way. Bain’s use of positive psychology is quite infectious. His ideas on how to change, why to change, what happens if we do not change, and everything in between are offered from a very positive perspective. Although Bain gives some of the downside related to change, or not changing when it is called for, he does it in a way that should make anyone ready to run out and meet the changes in their life head-on.

            Bain, in almost everything I have seen, uses a cyclical approach to engagement with the person of persons with whom he interacts. He will begin in such a way as to get the hearer excited about what he is going to say. He will have them on the proverbial edge of their seat with anticipation. Then he gives them the truth of the situation causing them to reflect on their own life sparking a little pessimism. However, Bain will bring things back into perspective with how things are not as bad as they seem. He concludes by offering a workable solution to the issue being addressed. In this work he gives us insight into the reality of handling change in a positive way,

I’ve studied what people say when they are facing the end of their life, and noticed that they find their greatest satisfaction from areas they took the positive action to change. Relationships that grew strong, houses or businesses they built, financial security they achieved and then wisely invested, health and happiness from doing something different to leave a positive legacy. Those were the things that people smiled about as they faced eighty years worth of life. (Bain, 2005)

In the final analysis concerning Bain’s writing about change, Apostle Paul gives a great word concerning temptation I believe is also applicable to how Bain counsels others about change, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, HCSB).

References

Bain, D. (2005). Hidden Power of Change. Retrieved June 2012, from Dwight Bain: http://www.dwightbain.com/docs/TheHiddenPowerOfChange.pdf

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.