I was given a book about a year back by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, entitled 'Immunity To Change.' It's a fairly academic book, and it's been taking a bit of time to get through it. The premise of the authors was that there is a kind of mind set or individual belief that combine to create a natural, but powerful immunity, to change. Within us is something that prevents change and we fight it. In fact, on their jacket, they quote a study that was done where they said that doctors who had told their heart patients that they would die if they didn't change their habits, found that only 1 in 7 were able to follow through successfully. They said, "Desire and motivation weren't enough. Even when it was literally a matter of life or death, the ability to change remained maddeningly elusive."
Well, it made me think about change and how change is something that is inevitable in different situations and circumstances, and yet, very often difficult for us to buy into. I remember many years ago, in the organization that I am a part of, a gentleman telling me that I needed to speak to the young girls who were coming to the meeting, that we had, and to tell them to dress properly. I replied, "That's not possible to do. If you tell people to dress differently, it's only going to touch the top and never going to change anything in them. They may dress differently for that particular meeting, but they will dress the same way on the other days of the week." He was insistent and I said, "No. I really cannot do that." The reason was this: At the heart of it, you have to communicate at a belief system area rather than a worldview position. The worldview position is one where we see behavior. But behavior is actually a reflection of our values, and values come to us from the things that we believe in. I told him, "If we were to tell these girls not to dress like that, it would only be at the world view level. They would do it out of respect, but when they are not within the areas that we work in, they would dress the way they wanted. If we really wanted permanent change, then what we needed to do was to address it at their belief system." He didn't buy it and left quite disgruntled.
I remember learning this in anthropology, that our worldview is the area of behavior, and behavior is what we interact with; that's what we see. When we see people behave in a particular way, we engage with that behavior and we either like it or we don't. If we don't, then we try and in some way, close it out or deal with it or shut it down. But you really can't deal with behavior at a worldview level, if you want change. You've got to deal with it at a deeper level where values are formed. And values are formed from a belief system. At a worldview level it is authoritarian, one-way and it always comes down to just blind acquiescence to what we want the other person to do. But if you take it down to a value-driven area, then in some way, it is shared and we are able to appeal to a common platform. Shared values! This creates friendships and shared goals, and there's a greater chance of the behavior changing.
But if we really want change to be permanent, then we go down to the belief system where foundational truths are embraced, regardless of personality, backgrounds, educational levels. Here, change is more lasting.
Maybe as you are reading this article, you realize that you've been trying to bring change either in yourself, or your family, community or even in the office spaces and the teams that you have, and there's been some resistance. I wonder whether you're trying to engage at a completely world view level, rather than engage at the belief system. A belief system identifies our core beliefs which are non-negotiable. Beliefs then translate into values that cannot be compromised and values become visible through our actions and behaviour, which is our worldview. Bringing change at a worldview level is often only cosmetic and fleeting. Permanent change happens when we engage at a belief system level.
And the same for you and me, as well. If we want to bring change, then we change the belief.
I wonder whether you've been grappling with change, maybe finding it difficult to do so. Lasting change happens when you take ownership for the reason to change, and let your behavior be consistent with your belief and value system. I wonder whether that's what we need to do today, to be able to bring that kind of lasting change, either into our own lives or into the lives of other people around us.
Our Scriptures give us a line that says: "There's a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Maybe the things that you've been doing till now haven't been working. Maybe change needs to happen. Maybe you don't know how to bring about that change. My prayer is that today, as you read this article, it's given you a window, an idea, of how to do that. My prayer is that the behavior that emanates from that change will be consistent with your beliefs and your values.
May I pray with you? Almighty God, there are times and seasons that You invite us to change. Sometimes we don't know how. Sometimes we ourselves are resistant to it. But would You take these words and crystallize it into manageable thoughts that can help us to change. And would You give us the wisdom and empowerment to bring about that change. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
• Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey, "Immunity to Change: How to Overcome it and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization," Harvard Business Press, Boston,
• Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Home they brought her Warrior dead." http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/home-they-brought-her-warrior-dead-2/
• Bible quote: Ecclesiastes 3:1, http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-change/
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