Shortly after completing my university education, I began my first experience serving as a full-time associate pastor. Excitement permeated my life as God had allowed me to serve Him in such a role. While serving at the church, I was given the privilege of attending seminary. And if that was not enough to keep my schedule full, I was also married and had a young child.
Christian education was my major assignment at the church. I had been trained for years to be a good minister of Christian education. All the resources and tools available to a leader were in my library. While I was thankful that this assignment was mine, those people just did not realize how helpful I could be to them. Immaturity was present in my life, but only recognized by others; not me!
Assignments in seminary, church, and at home were in abundance, but I was a hard worker and enjoyed doing the things I had been trained to do. However, I was quite amazed that the members of the congregation did not appreciate all that I COULD do to help them grow in their Christian education. During the first year of service I had mapped out a plan to help completely reorganize our Bible study structure, beginning with senior adults! That is when I discovered the truth of the Scriptures which state, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12). Death seemed to be the easy way out of dealing with “those” people down at “that” church!
Severe headaches, a twitching eye, and sleepless nights began to dominate my life. I could not sit still. Worry continually stirred my mind. Months went by with these symptoms that would not let me rest. Finally, I made a decision to see a doctor. My head ached so much that all I could discern was that I must have a brain tumor.
The appointed time came for me to see the doctor. He was a godly man who was a member of another church in the community. Sharing the details of my situation was embarrassing to me. As I tried to convince the doctor that I had a severe physical problem, the examination began. He looked into my eyes, listened to my heart, took my blood pressure, and performed all the other exam essentials. After the physical examination the doctor asked me a question I had not expected. He asked, “What is going on in your life as a pastor?”
It did not take me long to explain to him how those people down at that church were treating me. After all, they hired me to lead their Christian education departments and now they would not do what I asked them to do!
After hearing my complaints for a few minutes the doctor said he had good news for me. I thought, “Great!” He said he had two prescriptions for me that would help and that I could choose which one to take. Willing and ready, I asked what they were. He said, “First, I have tranquilizers that will help you calm down. The other choice is that you can go back to your church and find a place to get alone with God. Then, repent to God for not depending on Him to provide joy and peace in the midst of a difficult situation.”
Advice like that is never pleasant to hear but sometimes is necessary. I left the office and went back to the church. I went upstairs and found a small room where no one but God would hear me. Crying out to God, I admitted that I had sinned. Repentance toward God was my cure. Within a few days, my symptoms were gone! What a shock!
The bottom line? Joy comes to a repentant heart. (Taken from The Joy of Repentance Workbook)
Think LifeChange
I have learned as a Biblical counselor to never “map out a plan” but to simply follow God’s plan from His Word which is The (only) Way to true Joy & Peace. Simply stated there are but two ways in any circumstance: God’s way & the wrong way. Coincidentally, “my way” is included in the wrong way.
God does not waste anything. He will use you if you let Him, only His way is best. Listen to God not yourself. He never leads you astray.
God Bless
Margaret
My abject misery was what it took to wrench my plans out of my hands and then surprisingly find God’s peace. God’s peace results from God being in control. Why do I fight so hard to get my way only to discover that it is in loosing, that I win?
People are in the natural. They can’t help it. Things that are felt but not seen, tghins of the Spirit of God, like the wind blowing the tree branches, can be missed or dismissed by the Christian in the natural, in the flesh. God is in the supernatural, showing us the tghins we do not perceive in our flesh but only through the Spirit of God: Intuition, wisdom, revelation, faith those are good words. Thank you Lord for helping me to change the way I see and for showing me tghins I could never see in the natural, only through you, in the supernatural. Amen.
Corporate models, stgiteraes, logic and application will not bring heaven on earth, nor will they bring people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. my mind has been going over this thought over the past weeks as we spend so much time trying to put work of God and His Holy Spirit into some kind of logical order however, my experience tells me that when God chooses to work He does so in response to our prayers and in ways that often confound us and in spite of us. It is often messy and brings into our world people whose lives are chaotic. thank you for your series. Glenda
Appreciation to my father who stated to me concerning
this website, this webpage is in fact awesome.