If you follow us on Twitter or are a friend on Facebook, you will have heard that Michele’s step-mother lost her battle to cancer and past-away during the month of March. For us, that month was a blur as we journeyed to Nashville, returned home for one day and then had to turn around and travel back to Nashville to conduct the funeral.
Interestingly enough, as we were returning from the funeral, our coach broke down. This time, we were stranded in Chattanooga, TN. We were detained for several days as the technicians made every attempt to diagnose the problem. The final prognosis: There was shredded metal in the engine and was clogging the fuel injectors. The cost: $7,500.00. Oh boy, did that hit us by surprise! However, as we began to seek council from others, we learned that this was only part of a larger problem that would ultimately require us to replace the entire engine…at a much greater expense. After much council, we decided to spend $750 and clean out the fuel injectors which would help us to make it home to Charlotte. As it turned out, we made it all the way to our exit, and the bus began to crash. We chugged along at 5 miles per hour as we were fervently praying in the spirit attempting to make it to our parking spot. We made it to our parking space, backed up the bus so we could unload it, and it gave up the ghost and died. Of course, Michele and Judah and I were so thankful to God that He helped us make it home safely. We made provision to get rid of the bus, so we now travel in our mini-van.
Now, I share all of this with you- not to complain and whine (although God knows that I did much of that with Him). But rather, I want to share with you what happened while we sat in the waiting room at the shop.
There was a man who came in and asked me if I was in that brown bus outside. I told him “Yes”. He said, “The Worship Revolution! WOW! That is quite a powerful statement!” As we began to dialog, I learned that this gentleman lived in St. Louis, Missouri and he was in route to Florida to work on laying down some tracks for some new worship tunes. You see, he writes songs that God is giving him, and he does not know what to do with them. So, of course, I began with my line of questioning.
It seems as if the number one question I am asking the people that God places in front of me is this one thought: “If you could do anything in the world, and be guaranteed success- money and personnel were not a consideration- what is the one thing that God has placed upon your heart to do?”
Of course, this conversation lasted several hours and it offered this gentleman great hope. You see, he had a sense of what the Lord wanted for him, but he did not know how to get there.
For me and Michele (as most Christians today), we have a sense of what God is calling us to do, but we don’t know how to get there. And this can be a very frustrating and uncomfortable place. However, we know because of God’s grace, He knows how to get us where we are to be, when we are to be there. Unfortunately, in this situation, it required the bus to be broken down for this extended period of time, and me to be displaced from my comfort zone, simply so that I could meet this gentleman and minister to and encourage him to pursue the vision.
I often call this the process of purpose. John Maxwell calls it the Law of Process. But most everyone would agree that we can call this the desert place- a place of little comfort and many decisions. However, it is in this process where God causes our character to be refined, our integrity to hold fast, and patience to be tested- allowing His grace (which is sufficient) to carry us through this season of our lives.
I am reminded of II Peter 1: 5-8: “…giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
These are the building blocks that God uses to shape our character and offer us stability in the day of calamity and adversity. Verse 10 goes on to say, “…give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, ye shall never fall.”
NEVER FALL? Wow, this is the formula that guarantees success to our calling in Christ Jesus!
Let’s define some of these terms to give us clarity to this formula:
v Diligence: Persistent and hard-working effort in doing something; the care or attention expected by the law in doing something such as fulfilling the terms of a contract.
Faith: The substance of things that are hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Virtue: The quality of being morally good or righteous; a quality that is good or admirable, but not necessarily in terms of morality.
Knowledge: General awareness of possession of information, facts, ideas, truths or principles; specific information; all that can be known; learning through experience or study.
Temperance: Abstinence from Alcohol (Encarta Dictionary); self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire.
Patience: The ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.
Godliness: Devoted to or worshiping God; fit for or having the divine qualities of God.
Brotherly Kindness: Showing the affection of a brother
Charity: The voluntary provision of money, materials, or help to people in need; the willingness to judge people in a tolerant or favorable way; the impartial love of other people, especially as a Christian virtue.
Because God loves us so much, and because we are endeavoring to seek His face as we walk toward our own calling and ministries, the Lord (in His infinite wisdom) often puts us on somewhat of a “Scavenger Hunt”. He gives us the list of things that we need, and we then make the journey to various locations to find each item on the list. But oftentimes (as in the situation with our bus) we have to go to some very unusual places to obtain each of these key building blocks.
For many, they decide that the journey is too difficult, and therefore they stop running the race. They decide to pitch a tent in Moab, rather than pressing past the obstacles and facing the giants to obtain their Canaan Land Promise. And, this is very easy to do.
You and I need each other. We need to encourage each other to obtain each nugget that God has strategically placed in your pathway. Persevere through these obstacles that we face, and confront them with patience (the ability to endure waiting, delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset.) Easier said than done, but this is attainable, and when we collect each of these nuggets, God’s word promises that we will make our call and election (being chosen by God for special favor, salvation or a task) sure. Here is the promise: For if you do these things, ye shall never fall!
There is the formula for success!
Today, I encourage you to press past your adversity, your obstacles that you are facing, and add to your account each of these key building blocks. If we are real with each other, we will both agree that both of us need encouragement to press past our feelings to pursue our destiny.
Michele and I love you dearly and we pray that your destiny be realized, developed, and deployed upon the earth as God has purposed it for you in the Heavens. Keep pressing on!
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