Running Away

Day 199: Jonah 1-2

The notion of calling has received a great deal of attention recently. What does it mean to be called? Well, we are all called to love God and love people--those are, in fact, the two greatest commandments. After these, we are also called to obey God (which is encompassed in loving him) and to follow his will. However, we want to know how this personally relates to us, how our life is going to end up on an individual basis. What should we major in? What job should we have? What should we do with our life? These questions are ones we ask ourselves so that we can better know God's purpose for our lives. Although we are all called to love God and love people, we want more specific answers.

But what happens when we don't like the answer?

Jonah was given explicit instructions by God to go to Ninevah and preach to them about their wickedness, to condemn them for it. But Jonah didn't want to go. So what does he do? He runs. Yes, he runs from God. He jumps on a ship, gets thrown overboard, and ends up in the belly of a big fish. Here, he reflects on what he has done. He also prays to the Lord and confesses his sins to the Lord. He repents, too, and then the fish spits him out.

The story of Jonah is a familiar one, but what stands out to me now is just how applicable this story is to our own life. Like Jonah, we run from God when he calls us to do something that scares us, that we don't think needs to be done, or that we are resentful about doing. We run and trouble follows us, just like it does with Jonah when a storm comes to his boat. Then, we get into so much trouble that we need saving and along comes something to lead us to reflect, hopefully to pray and talk to God rather than run to him. And then, we are restored. The trouble is, however, that this is often a cycle we get ourselves into. Running and getting caught. Running and getting caught.

But God doesn't want us to run. He needs us. He has plans for each of us, and he can use us to help further the His kingdom. We are here for a purpose, to love people and to show them the way to the cross. Let's all stop running and look to how God can use us. We only have one life to live.

Ezekiel Sees a Wheel and Becomes a Prophet

Day 177: Ezekiel 1-4

When I was young, we learned this song about Ezekiel seeing a wheel in the air. I never really knew what that specific reference meant, and after reading these four chapters, I still don't really get it. What I do know, though, is that the glory of the Lord appeared to Ezekiel and called him to be a prophet. The Spirit had a presence in his life, and he responded to it. In fact, the word "Spirit" is used several times here. Ezekiel was to speak to Israel and to deliver to them messages from the Lord.

How will you respond to the Lord's call? Will you say "yes"? Will you hear his voice calling? Will you allow the Spirit to work in your life?

"God Intended It for Good"

Day 13: Genesis 46 to 50

Today has been a good day. The congregation welcomed us warmly, and we enjoyed meeting many people this morning. Shane preached a fantastic sermon about the Christian imagination and tied this idea of “imagine” into the book of Ezekiel. The sermons will be available online soon at www.nccoc.net. This first one was really good.

While Peyton got to go to the nursery during the worship service, Elizabeth had to sit with me during the service since Northcrest doesn’t have children’s church. For her first time sitting there the whole time, she did almost all right, and that’s being kind to her. For those of you who know Elizabeth, you know how she is literally ALWAYS talking. Well, church service was no different. I came prepared with snacks, books, and crayons, but this still wasn’t enough to keep her occupied. Poor thing! She’ll learn how to be quiet, I’m sure. I’m looking forward to that time, so I can pay 100% attention to Shane’s sermons! I’m glad they’re available online. ;)

As we begin this new job—and I say “we” not because I do the preaching or anything but because we see congregational and community ministry as “our” ministry—I am prayerful yet anxious about what’s to come.

I’m sure Joseph never thought his life would turn out like it did. He probably expected to be a shepherd for his entire life just like his brothers. He expected to be near his father, his mother, and his brothers. But he was not. God had different plans for Joseph. Joseph was put in charge, second only to Pharaoh, and took care of the people during the seven years of famine. He grew close to God, and he listened to God’s calling. javascript:void(0)

I want to look back on our ministry as Joseph looked back on his life. While his brothers sold him into slavery and meant to harm him, Joseph has a different perspective about what happened. He tells his brothers, “Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” (Gen. 50:20)

God knows what He’s doing with our lives. He knows what he’s doing with yours, and he knows what he’s doing with mine—even when we are unsure of what that might be. As my family begins life in this new ministry context, I am praying that God intends this experience to be for good so that we can preserve a numerous people. I hope he will use us in the same way he used Joseph. I pray the same for you, dear reader.

Parting Ways through Faith

Day 4: Genesis 13-16

The story of Abram and Lot parting ways has new meaning to me after my church planting experience. When Shane and I were thinking about how to approach our church planting partners about parting ways, we read this story often. Here you had two people who were very wealthy and the land could no longer support them both. Also, strife existed between their herders. But Abram didn’t want strife between the two of them, so he told Lot that Lot could choose which land to take and he would then go the other way.

Shane and I spent a lot of time thinking about this and decided that it was the right way to think about parting ways with the church planting couple. We didn’t know what they would choose, and we didn’t really know what we wanted to do either. Once I began looking at this hard situation in this way—as one where we would just trust God that he would make happen what needed to happen—I felt so much peace about the whole situation. The story of Abram and Lot increased my faith and brought me peace during a very difficult time. I knew that no matter how hard things got—and things got VERY hard afterwards—God would take care of us.

After Abram and Lot departed ways, God blessed Abram and Abram praised the Lord.

Hearing Voices

Day 3: Genesis 9-12

God demonstrates his power once again with the story of the tower of Babel. These people were building a monument to themselves and God didn’t like it. So, he confuses their language and scatters them all over the world. What kind of towers have I built in my life that replace God? Honestly, I don’t really like thinking about this question. Too often in my life, other things come first. Too often, I come first. But God wants to be first in my life, first in your life. He doesn’t want me to put my identity and self-esteem in anything else but him. I find comfort in this. When I’m having a hard day at work, for instance, or when I get rejection after rejection for the articles I’m trying to get published, I can remind myself that God wants me to find my identity in him. And this brings me comfort.

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I wonder how God called Abram. Did his voice come booming from heaven? Or was God’s voice one Abram heard in his head and followed because he knew it was God? Or did God speak to him some other way? I’m not sure, but sometimes I do wish that I would know exactly when God was speaking to me and what he was saying. Abram heard God and followed him immediately. I think I would follow God, too, but I want to hear him. To know for sure that God is speaking to me and that it’s not some other voice I’m listening to (like my own).

At times over these past two years, I have really regretted church planting. Before we did it, we prayed and prayed and prayed about this decision, and we really felt that we were being called to do this. But then it all seemed to combust, and we were left wondering if we really heard the voice of God calling us to do this, or if it was someone else’s. I guess we won’t ever know for sure, but I do find peace in the fact that God has used our church planting experiences to form us and shape us into more mature Christians, into a more mature couple. He also used us to impact others. Some of our best friends are people we met through this experience. God used this situation (and is still using this situation) for the good. I do pray, though, that God will reveal his voice to me more and more every day and that I will be humble enough to hear it.