Not all change, no matter how lofty or socially appealing it might appear, is for our good. We must discover the birthing place where seeds of change were originally planted so we can discern what kind of crop we will harvest in the future.

The Greek word “meta” means change. Other Greek words are attached to the prefix meta to denote the kind of change that will take place. For example, meta is used to describe the metamorphosis of a butterfly. In medical science the word metastasize describes the spread of cancer. Paul used the meta prefix in the first chapter of Romans to form a word that describes people who change or exchange God’s original design and purpose for their sexuality. Facebook’s new name will become Meta. 

Not all change is immediate. Some change requires generational gestation before acceptance and compliance takes place. Some of what we see happening today in the Church and culture has been a process of change that has been taking place over decades. We arrived at this point in time having been prepared to accept either lies or truth. It is like the wheat and tares parable. We won’t fully know until the time of harvest. 

Some of the social and theological issues being debated today should not be readily accepted at face value no matter how appealing they might appear. Biblical truth is our unchanging standard for evaluation. While some offerings of change can appear to have merit on the surface, one must look deeper into the history of who or what is bringing about that change. Change that is widely labeled today as right for the greater good can become draconian control tomorrow by stripping away the exercise of our free will and calling that exercise rebellion. Free will is one of the most significant differences between humans and animals or serfs and citizens.  

Undiscerned negative change is like the proverbial frog in a kettle. To remain in a place of deception without employing discernment will eventually lead to the boiling point of control. At any given moment, all of us are sitting in some kind of spiritual or cultural kettle. When the water of deception reaches a full boil and we failed to employ Spirit-led discernment, what was meant to live and prosper will die and succumb to the influence of unrighteous change. It’s time to jump.