“We are having a baby!”
As a young husband, I remember where I was when we found out that something new was about to happen to multiply our family and embark on an adventure. Nothing brings more energy and excitement than the birthing of a new baby. The day finally arrived for our first son, Caden, to be born, and we were overwhelmed with anticipation. Everything was changing so rapidly — especially the diapers. Then we left the hospital, and the reality that the nurses weren’t going with me scared me to death. Our lives were officially transformed.
Doing something new leads to transformation. The Latin word for new is novus. It is the root word we use for innovation. Innovation is trying something new. There is energy in innovation. When was the last time you or your church tried something new?
Churches are strategically positioned to get the results they are currently getting. If you want different results, you must try something new. So why are churches not willing to change? Probably because they allow the anxiety of the unknown to keep them from the energy of innovation.
Being adventurous is dangerous. There is something more dangerous than adventure: routine. Jesus has a way of breaking our routine and leading us to consider something new. He told a few fishermen to drop their nets. Jesus told a paralytic to get up, and He told a tax collector to change his plans for dinner one night.
Maybe you need to go to a different restaurant this week. What if you drove a different way to work and checked out the other side of town? You could start a new hobby that puts you around some people you would never meet otherwise. If you really want to be radical, sit on the other side of the church this Sunday and strike up a new conversation.
It’s been 20 years since we welcomed new life into our home. We did it two more times. Each time brought new energy to the house. Try something new this week and multiply the family.