Change is one of the fundamental principles of created life. It is the God-given path to growth and survival. Unfortunately, the problem is that we only pay lip service to it.

Typically, human beings, while touting change, actually love to abide in their evil status quo, even when it's killing them, rather than take the uncomfortable trouble of change. In addition, some naively imagine that change is a bed of roses on the picnic ground. No! Real change is costly in all dimensions. Thirdly, even when we fully appreciate the demands of change, we only want to exact it on others and desire to exempt ourselves. Thus, the failing student clamours for change in the teachers, the schools and the entire educational system - but not in his own irresponsible studying habit; the spouses in a troubled marriage demand change in their partners rather than in themselves;

In my native Nigeria, the Yorubas want the Igbos to change without they themselves adjusting and correcting their errors while the Fulanis wonder why the rest of the country doesn't change and just be willingly subservient to them. The Igbos feel every other person is against them and want them to change without asking what it is about them that is so universally viewed as negative. The general populace wants change in the rulers but think nothing of their own many evils. The APC clamouring for change wants to apply it only to PDP members but keep its own rotten eggs as governors, Senate officers and top on the list of ministers, etc, etc.

This is not what God intends for us as genuine change. This is not what we see in the story of the eagle who renews its strength and glory via periodic painful processes of change.

Real change starts with the individual. It is from within outwards and not the other way round. Of course, full change will eventually involve everything in our "world" - our sphere of influence. But he who does not change in himself cannot utilise the opportunities presented by environmental changes. He who would change must be ready to be ruthless with himself, but the result justifies the discipline.

Change is imperative for every created being. If you don't change, you stagnate and die. Only be sure that the change is for the better and not for the worse. Yes, there is positive change and there is negative change. Every creature must keep changing positively to survive. Only God, the Creator, is beyond change. And we are not God.

Today, regardless of your current status and station, I counsel you to learn and embrace positive change though it may be painful and costly, so that you may live and fulfil your destiny.