I have been waiting for some time to post these blogs (the next blog will be "Blessings in the Trial"). I wanted to allow the dust to settle on my experience in order to ensure a more accurate reflection. The trial I refer to in these blogs is the past year my family and I have gone through without employment and the thousands of questions and struggles that came along with it. During the whole process, I kept a list of "lessons" and "blessings" in the cover of my Bible. As the days slowly grew into months, so my lists grew as well. Looking back today, I would not trade one single struggle in this trial for a shorter stent! It took the entire year for God to show these things to me, and they are precious to me now! (Notice, I said "Now.") He was gracious to take a year with me; I could not have handled them all at once! My goal in sharing this with you is that it might encourage you in whatever trial you are facing or will face in the future. There are many, many believers suffering today from unexpected, unbelievable hardships. I pray the Lord will use these lessons that I learned in my hardship to help carry you through your own difficulty as they did for me.
(No particular order of importance, just listed as I realized them)
1. Do not rely on self! (2 Cor 1:8-9) One of the great things the Lord did for me during this time was to remove all things that could be attributed to "self." In other words, He showed me areas of pride! I had to face huge mistakes I had made. I had to face the reality that my "talents" and/or my "experience" or "education" were not there for me to fall back on in times of difficulty. I was to fall on God for my strength and deliverance! Only He could open the next door for me. I joked with my pastor, but was saying this seriously as well, "Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, some trust in Ph.D.s, but we will trust in the Lord our God!" It really was amazing to see unfold! I was the guy who "fit" the mold, so to speak. I was in my 30s, had a young family, had the highest degree possible, and some pastoral experience - and nothing was happening! It was soon clear that the Lord was up to something. He was teaching me to not rely on "self," and it was a good lesson!
2. God will provide for his children. (Ps 37:25) The Lord provided for our needs in hundreds of unexpected, timely ways! Everything from unknown reimbursements to anonymous donations to friends sending gifts to family members standing by us financially-over and over again, God came through for us in big, surprising, sufficient ways! We never missed a meal. Not one single bill went unpaid. God is good, and He taught me to trust him and not worry (Mat 6:25-34).
3. How to be Content in whatever circumstance you are in. (Phil 4:10-13) The previous lesson does not mean that every day was easy for us-by no means! After spending 12 years in theological education and 3 years planting a church, we thought that we had already learned how to live simple! Well...God taught us more about living with less and being satisfied in him and not in things! We learned many ways to stretch the dollar and pinch the penny, and it was good for us!
4. Be patient and wait on the Lord. (Ps 27:13-14) I finally learned after months of struggling that I need to wait on the Lord. There's nothing wrong with being responsible and looking for employment, but in the end, I realized I could not open a single door. And if the Lord did allow ME to open a door, it would prove to be a miserable one! It takes faith to wait! God was teaching me to trust and be content and wait on the Lord to do us good, and He did!
5. Keep your priorities in place. (Mat 6:33) God is first. Along with that are the beauty of Christ and the wonder of the Gospel! Family is second. Relationships in the body of Christ and with those who you are trying to win to Christ are third. Everything else is either a far fourth or meaningless in terms of eternity!!!!!!!
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