We human beings can be so changeable, often at the drop of a hat. Making up one's mind, especially with big decisions of life, can be quite a challenge. Things change, situations change, outcome of a prognosis uncertain...
Life itself is in flux, from birth to death. That which used to give pleasure may now be a bore; the one who was a friend yesterday, today is now an enemy. Our very physical bodies began to die the moment we were born; continual change.
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, author of the book What Buddhists Believe describes this continuing flux as the "Law of Impermanence or Change" as according to Gautama Buddha (page 112). Because of this, he also "denies the existence of eternal substances" (page 112). He continues...
"Matter and spirit are false abstractions that, in reality are only changing factors (Dharma) which are connected and which arise in functional dependence on each other" (page 112).
For instance, going up the food chain, one species dependent upon another for food, allowing perpetuity of each species, or not. If there are too many deer in the forest, introduce wolves to decimate the numbers or allow hunters more seasonal shots. Or, if there are not enough trees, plant some so birds of the air have places to nest and gain protection from other flying predators; you get the picture of nature being in harmony and interdependent balance.
Yet to further the quandary...
"Buddhism teaches that the mind seeks a permanent existence but life creates an impermanent physical body. We take this as life, and then unsatisfactoriness disturbs the mind. This is the source of suffering." (pages 112-113).
If one believes there is nothing eternal, that there is no spirit ("false abstraction") and there is no God, then that individual is indeed in a dilemma and of all people most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19). No wonder the more intense suffering.
So what will happen to the mind, or the storing up of accumulated knowledge and good/bad karma when the body housing the mind, or "mental continuum" is no longer? It must inhabit a new form (body); for example a cockroach, snake or other animal or even another human being. Buddhists call this "rebirth" but there will be more on this subject later on in this series (pages 112-113).
It is rather significant that Gautama Buddha taught that the mind seeks a "permanent existence" yet because of the impermanent physical body, therein is conflict and source of suffering.
Praise the Lord, there is God. That He is eternal. That He gives life eternal through His Son Jesus. There is eternal life.
Yes our physical body dies and decays; "dust to dust, ashes to ashes".
"...from dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19).
But God will give us Christians new bodies that are incorruptible when He calls His children home to Heaven to be with Him forever (1 Corinthians 15:42-49 ESV)...
"So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable." (vs 42)..."The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven" (vs47)...Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." (vs 49).
This imperishable/incorruptible body we will be given will be able to sustain the permanence of eternal life as our spirits live on. This is good news.
More good news is that then all suffering and unsatisfactoriness will be no more. This is due to the unchangeableness of the God of the universe, the Creator God; the Sustainer God; all one and the same great and mighty Being, my Heavenly Father, God. All things will then be permanently good and stable; unchangeable.
We change but He changes not...
"I the LORD do not change..." (Malachi 3:6 NIV)
We also know that,
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).
Because He is the same and does not change, we can trust and rely on Him, forever.
Another aspect of changeableness is that of renewing our minds. Once a person belongs to Jesus, having accepted salvation by faith, our Heavenly Father wants us to be conformed to His likeness. That is when our conduct and character need to become more like Christ's.
We ourselves want our own children to behave in certain ways, so does God our Father desire for His children to behave in certain ways.
There is a saying that goes something as follows: God loves us just the way we are (meaning He accepted us sinners to come to Him through Jesus Christ and we didn't have to raise ourselves to a certain standard to earn merits to be accepted and receive His salvation) but He loves us too much to leave us that way (again, the purpose is not for earning any merit points for earning any acceptance but to have renewed minds and lives).
And again, we love our children to bits and accept their foibles and eccentricities but we also want them to behave with common courtesy, and to form good character and conduct; thus we train and discipline to accomplish the task.
You may wish to read this other link as an example of this Christian living idea called "Morning Musings - Do the Do".
I believe all of us have our weaknesses and God wants to help us and holds His Son up as His standard for us. He wants us to grow and mature and to be like His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). In Romans 12:2 (ESV) we read...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will."
While still alive and living on this earth we do need our minds to change and be "renewed" to Christ's likeness. We can do so by living according to God's Word. Read it and then obey it. This we will do till Jesus calls us to Heaven and then we will no longer have to struggle; our hearts and minds will focus on Christ Himself without the distractions of our own desires and will. Our imperishable bodies and our fully redeemed and renewed minds will then live on forever in permanent existence with Christ in the perfection of Heaven. He makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
~ERC 2018~
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