Today is my dad's first day in the office at Christian Family Fellowship, the church where he is now senior pastor. The discussion of moving is invading family conversations as we think about the best place and time to relocate. The move will inevitably force me to look for a new job. I am sad to leave American Family Insurance, my boss of seven years (only boss I have ever had) and my co-worker (one of my closest friends) Katie. Change is also invading my personal life as I build new friendships and dream new dreams.
Ah, but change in this life is sure. Change is exciting and difficult. The only thing that remains constant is God. He never changes. How thankful I am for that! Since He does not change, knowing all of time as an eternal now, He commands me to:
"not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
I do have a sinful, untrusting tendancy to be anxious. It takes a great discipline of the heart and mind to stay focused on God. He knows all, controls all and sees all. He has my best interest in mind as He is conforming me more and more to the likeness of His Son, Jesus. So I am commanded to not be anxious. There is no reason. None.
Oh, what would it be like to be so delighted and satisfied by the person of God that everything in this life, whether good or bad, falls apart in light of Him? The things that I hold so dear on earth are like sand in comparison to the reality of His majesty and blow away in His presence. This song has become so dear to me the last few weeks:
WAGING WAR
by Shane Barnard
It haunts me so
This gloomy weight
That comes and goes
Without a trace
A thousand times my flesh embrace
A thousand more but if for grace
To see the Lord, the promise land
Where in sins pearly gates look bland
And what was once a pearl now sand
That blows away in light of Him
When battle lines become unclear
And the waging war is all I hear
Sustain me with Your voice
And the choice to walk in truth
And by the Spirit
That I might see this day
This waging war might go away
And be no more
That I might see His face
And hear Him saySon, welcome home
The war is over
“But whatever things were gain to me,
those things I have counted as loss
for the sake of Christ.
More than that,
I count all things to be loss
in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and count them but rubbish
so that I may gain Christ…”
Philippians 3:7-8
All of my worries, cares, anxieties, fears, dreams, loves and pursuits are nothing in relation to knowing Christ and being known by Him. Do I love Him as He deserves to be loved? Do I desire Him as the only things worth possessing?
So, as the winds of change blow in my life, I see the need to rest in Him and desire Him above anything. The changes are good and God knows where the wind needs to blow. The wind will blow away the sand of my earthly affections and bring His refreshing touch. I want to be so fully captured by His glory that all things seem dull compared to Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment