Principles, Not Patterns

Life changes happen.

No matter who you are or how stable your life situation may be, life changes.

• People get married
• Kids grow up
• Jobs change
• Hobbies change
• Relationships change
• Schedules change
• Environments change

What I’ve noticed over the last couple of years is that sometimes, people get too married to the patterns of their life and begin to think they are principles by which they live. What this means is that, we can do something for such a long period of time that we begin to believe they are inherently “right.” When the inevitable change comes, we spiral because we’ve clung to patterns of life so tightly. All of the sudden, something feels off inside us and we almost feel guilty, not really because we’ve done anything wrong, but because what we’ve viewed as “right” is suddenly changed.

As I’ve grown a little older, I’ve also noticed that people cling to patterns in their own lives and begin to look through their lens as they look at other people’s lives.

So when the people around them don’t live by the same patterns, they assume they are wrong and judge them based on what they do, not by the principles they hold to. The world has become increasingly hostile toward people that do things that aren’t wrong, they’re just different from the way they do things.

So, when change happens in your life, does it make you feel “wrong” because your patterns change? When you see others living with different patterns and different ways of life, do you judge them and assume they are wrong?

It’s the principles we live by and hold to that really tell who we are.

The patterns will change. Hold tight to the principles.