I was reading over at Perry Noble's blog today and he askes the question, "What would you do for God if you knew you could not fail?" Great question for anyone to answer. His post is great and I encourage you to go over and read it.
As I was contemplating what he wrote, it wasn't so much answering that question because I am now in the process of doing just that, but thinking about the idea of failure. Something Christians don't often want to admit when they feel God has called them to do something they don't want to think about the possibility that this thing God wants them to do could blow up in their faces. They could go down in flames. It could ruin their financial state of being. Or even their reputation.
I have no problem admitting that planting a church in Claremont, and anywhere else for that matter is risky business. Too many things could go wrong to torpedo this new church venture. Funding could fall through. Tragedy to the family could hit. Staff hires could destroy what we worked so hard to build. People will misunderstand our vision and question our walk with God. Question our motives for doing it in the first place. On top of all that the devil isn't happy about it either. Which brings up another point about some Christians beliefs, that if God is in it the devil can't stop it.
But you see, I was reading in I Thess. 2:18 and Paul wrote, "For we wanted to come to you - certainly I, Paul, did, again and again - but Satan stopped us." Hold the phone. "Satan stopped us."? Paul? No way. But apparently the devil can try to stop what God wants to do. And so we have that factor, that the devil wants to stop us from even getting to Claremont. And when we do, to make it hard for us to do what God wants us to do.
It's easy to get discouraged when you have people you call friends question your vision. When people question the way I want to do things. When leaders say the vision is impractical. People you consider friends decide they don't want to be friends with us anymore. I admit, I have definitely had times of wanting to quit and go work on a golf course. My faith is being tested, my heart is being tested and my mind is going nuts.
But I come back to my life verse, Phil. 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." To me that means, never give up, never give it. Fight the good fight of faith. Even in the midst of despair and discouragment. And so I press on and press through to remain faithful to God's calling on my families life.
As I was contemplating what he wrote, it wasn't so much answering that question because I am now in the process of doing just that, but thinking about the idea of failure. Something Christians don't often want to admit when they feel God has called them to do something they don't want to think about the possibility that this thing God wants them to do could blow up in their faces. They could go down in flames. It could ruin their financial state of being. Or even their reputation.
I have no problem admitting that planting a church in Claremont, and anywhere else for that matter is risky business. Too many things could go wrong to torpedo this new church venture. Funding could fall through. Tragedy to the family could hit. Staff hires could destroy what we worked so hard to build. People will misunderstand our vision and question our walk with God. Question our motives for doing it in the first place. On top of all that the devil isn't happy about it either. Which brings up another point about some Christians beliefs, that if God is in it the devil can't stop it.
But you see, I was reading in I Thess. 2:18 and Paul wrote, "For we wanted to come to you - certainly I, Paul, did, again and again - but Satan stopped us." Hold the phone. "Satan stopped us."? Paul? No way. But apparently the devil can try to stop what God wants to do. And so we have that factor, that the devil wants to stop us from even getting to Claremont. And when we do, to make it hard for us to do what God wants us to do.
It's easy to get discouraged when you have people you call friends question your vision. When people question the way I want to do things. When leaders say the vision is impractical. People you consider friends decide they don't want to be friends with us anymore. I admit, I have definitely had times of wanting to quit and go work on a golf course. My faith is being tested, my heart is being tested and my mind is going nuts.
But I come back to my life verse, Phil. 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." To me that means, never give up, never give it. Fight the good fight of faith. Even in the midst of despair and discouragment. And so I press on and press through to remain faithful to God's calling on my families life.
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