Our country is a mess!  When you look at our situation it doesn’t look good.  Financially we are in a recession.  Eduacationally we are feeding our children the poison of relativism.  Political correctness has become the standard, instead of what is right.  Morally, we are sliding dangerously down a slippery slope where we find ourselves in a battle over what constitues marriage and whether late term abortion should be reinstated.  Politically we are driven by special interest groups instead of what is best for the country.  Legislatively, if we are not careful, we will allow a minority to dictate to the majority on some key moral issues.  I think you’ll have to agree with me that the America of the 21st century is a completely different place from the America of the 20th century.

However, inspite of all that his happening around us, God has equipped us to make a statement of His love and grace by the way that we live our lives.  The apostle Paul in Galatians 5:23 says that part of the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness.  If we are going to be gentle in the midst of the chaos we must realize that it is a conscious decision.  It is a conscious decision when the person with power and priviledge chooses to submit the the Lordship of Christ and allows himself to be God controlled.  Gentleness is also a result of God’s grace.  It’s not human to be gentle.  The evil, sinful nature that dwells within each of us is a grabbing, greedy, climb-the-ladder, and knock-the-person-off the-rung if you can kind of mindset.  So only the grace of God can help us have this wonderful aspect of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Gentleness is power under God’s control; it is a gentle power.  Over the next several posts I’m going to talk about what gentleness looks like in your life and mine.

1. I absolutely love to cook.

2. I enjoy a good “chick-flick.” (Sweet Home Alabama and Serendipity are two of my favorites.)

3. I am in a mixed marriage–I’m a Gator and Gina’s a Seminole.

4. We have 3 dogs at our house.

5. I like to clean the house, the cars…

6. When I was 19 years old I surrendered to the ministry.

7. My kids think my sense of humor is weird.

8. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister.

9. I am an Eagle Scout.

10. I believe that BBQ is an art form.

I just finished reading Paul Young’s book, The Shack.  I had heard all of the talk about this book and decided I had to read it for myself.  Let me start off by saying that as you read the book you must keep in mind that it is a work of fiction.  I picked it up a few weeks ago while shopping with my wife, and from the moment I opened it and began to read I didn’t want to put it down.  It was an easy read and I was mesmerized as I read the story about Mack’s personal struggles and the way he and his family worked through a very difficult time in their lives.  I don’t want to give a blow by blow account of what happened in the book; you can read that for yourself.  However, I wanted to give my view of what I thought was good and what I didn’t primarily agree with about this book.

MY PRIMARY DISAGREEMENT

My primary disagreement was the way the trinity was depicted.: God the Father as an older African American woman, Jesus as a carpenter, the Holy Spirit as an oriental woman, and then a fourth person who was a spirit and served as sort of a gate-keeper for heaven.   Anytime you hear a story or account of something that happened to someone you must always run it through the filter of God’s Word.  In other words, the authority is in God’s Word not in someone’s personal experience.  In essence, Young gives a very unbiblical picture of the working of the trinity.  Let me capture my primary problems with the way the trinity is portrayed.

• Young teaches that the trinity exists without a hierarchy, whereas the Bible clearly teaches there is a chain of command.

• He also teaches that the triune nature of God is a necessity because without it God would be incapable of love; however the Bible teaches just the opposite.

At best Young blurs the distinction of the persons of the Trinity along with their roles and unique attributes.  So I have to conclude that Young has an inadequate and often unbiblical view of the trinity.

WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOOD

The thing I thought was good was the way the trinity responded to Mack with unconditional love and complete understanding of all that he had experienced during his entire life.  The patience, compassion, and mercy that God demonstrated was moving to the point of tears.  The relationship between God and man was driven home and was very effective in communicating that God really does care about us.

All in all I thought The Shack was a good story, but I know I would not base my theology on it.  I also had concerns about the way salvation, free will, submission, forgiveness, and the nature of scripture were explained.  In my opinion, the negatives in this book greatly outweigh the positives.

The last couple of weeks have been hectic for me.  Traveling and speaking has brought me to the point of exhaustion, but the rewards have been amazing.  Last week I traveled to speak at Germantown Baptist in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday evening and then again on Thursday for their Bottom-Line Business Lunch.  My biggest struggle is not to just go through the motions of speaking but to try to have a word from God. On Wednesday night I felt the Lord leading me to 1 Peter, the first chapter, and a 72 year old man surrendered his heart to Christ.  That made the journey worthwhile and I was reminded that God is still able to take a crooked stick like me and draw a straight line with it.

After wrapping things up in Memphis I flew back to Atlanta to catch another plane to Dallas, Texas, so that I could drive to Abeline for the “Revamp” conference at Hardin-Simmons University.  I was to speak on Saturday and Sunday and had been praying that God would show up and move in the lives of the students.  I crowds were not what the leadership had hoped for, but I reminded them that anytime God had done something, in history on a God-sized scale, it always began with a smaller group and then spread to explosive proportions.  After I had spoken I led the students in a time of commitment and it was amazing.  Eight students surrendered their lives to Christ and many others asked for prayer, confessing publically that they had areas of their lives were not surrendered to the Lord.  There were so many who asked for prayer that there was not enough people to pray with them, so they just kind of clumped together and prayed.  The Atmosphere was one of brokeness and yet celebration as to what God was doing.  Sunday we wrapped everything up and headed back to Florida.  Here are my take-aways from “Revamp”:

• God is raising up a generation that desires to love Him with all their hearts. Jessica, Lydia, Megan, Bruce, Jason, Trey, John, John Mark and the rest of the Revamp Leadership Team, you guys are amazing.

• God is able to take our best laid plans and make them better.  The truth is sometimes our best laid plans are not very good at all, and God just chooses to bless our mess.
• The devil deals in discouragement.  He knows that once we get discouraged, that his agenda to kill, steal, and distroy is a whole lot easier.
• There is no substitute for a changed life.  To see those students surrender their lives to Christ was incredible and I get excited when I think of how God will use them in the days to come.

I am so thankful that God used this past week to do a new and fresh work in my life.  To see the passion in the lives of those students was incredible.  I just hope God will open more doors in the future and continue to allow me to be a part of what He is doing.

As we make our way through this life, relationships are a key to our fulfillment. This past July, Gina and I celebrated 25 years together. Like every pair of sinners striving to be one, we have had our troubles, but by God’s grace we’ve gotten through them stronger, closer and more certain than ever that marriage is to make us holy and not just happy. I believe that God gave me a need for Gina that is unlike anyone else. I am a self-sufficient guy, an introvert in many ways, and can take care of myself just fine; but I need Gina. I am drawn to her, smitten by her and in love with her to a depth that I cannot explain, but only enjoy. To this day I am more drawn to her than anyone I have ever met and, as always, I just love being with her. I love her touch, I love her smile and I absolutely love her laugh that fills a room. Not everyone thinks I am funny, but she does, and for over two decades our home has been filled with laughter and fun. Our relationship is one that I cherish; she is my best friend and I can’t imagine being without her.

However, as wonderful as my relationship is with my wife, it can never take the place of my relationship with God. For the last couple of posts I’ve been talking about legalism. So how do you break loose from a life of legalism? Very simply, the way to break free from legalism is to maintain a relationship with God based on grace, not based on rules. Grace is what God does for us from the inside out. This has absolutely nothing to do with religion. It is possible to be very religious and have no relationship with God. It’s not about your religion; it’s about your relationship. That’s easy to say, it just kind of rolls off our tongue, but not so easy to do. Before we go any further, let me drive this point home again. A relationship of grace does not mean the absence of any rules. It means the rules grow out of the relationship, rather than being the basis of the relationship. It is love, not law, that sustains a godly life. So how do you break out of the chains of legalism? Let me give you three steps that will help.

• Listen to God and let other things find their own level.

Think of Mary and Martha the day Jesus visited their house for dinner. Martha was performance-oriented and Mary was relationship-oriented. Jesus told Martha, “Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 Did you hear what Jesus said? Do you want the good part of your relationship with Him? Then sit at His feet and listen to Him, and let the other things find their own level. Of course, Mary would have gotten up and gotten Jesus a drink if He had asked for it, but for her the joy of His presence was what mattered, not the menu.

• Refuse to allow people to put you under bondage anymore.

It is so freeing to realize that we don’t have to perform to please God. Once we grasp that, we don’t have to let people put us under bondage anymore. Some of us are so dependant on people affirming us and complimenting us for our performance that we don’t know how to live any other way. When God saved you, He wrote His Law in your heart and mind. (Heb. 10:16) That means He wants to relate to you from the inside. You don’t need an external system of rules to keep you “in line” because you have internalized God’s Word and you have a desire to obey and please Him from your heart.

• Throw away your list.

Look at one other Scripture. Paul wrote, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6  The word “letter” stands for the Law of Moses. It kills for the reasons we’ve talked about. The Law only tells me how far short of the standard I have fallen and it pronounces my judgment. When the sin within me encounters the Law, it rebels against it—and rebellion deserves death in God’s economy. You’ll shrivel up trying to live by legalism.  In the new covenant, Christ comes to live within us and brings us His unfading glory. If we keep our eyes on Christ, His glory will rub off on us and produce glory within us. Have you ever seen someone walking a dog on a leash when the dog doesn’t want to go where its owner is going? The owner is constantly tugging on the leash, pulling the dog back and telling him to come on. That’s the way a lot of Christians live; they’re on a “law leash.” Their lives consist of “Stop that; come back here; don’t do that,” only it’s in terms of “Read your Bible; pray; go to church; witness; tithe.” There is nothing wrong with those things, but God never meant for us to do them at the end of a leash.

Let me change the analogy. Suppose you are driving in a strange town, trying to find an address. You stop and ask for directions and get a complicated set of instructions that will require you to try to drive while counting stoplights and looking for street names and such. That’s living by the law. The person who gave you directions gave you the rules, so to speak, but you have to work it all out for yourself. But suppose that person offers to drive you to your destination. Now everything is different. You can throw your list of rules out the window because someone who knows the way is in control. You can sit back and enjoy the ride.  Too many Christians are trying to follow a list of rules to get them where they want to go. Their destination is peace and joy and victory, but they really don’t know how to get there. If that is where you are, Jesus Christ is inviting you to move over and let Him have the wheel because He can take you where you want to go. And, by the way, throw your list out the window on the trip!

Did you ever wonder why a funeral procession is permitted to break traffic laws? I’m sure you’ve seen these processions. It doesn’t matter whether there’s a stop sign or a red light; the procession goes right through. A red light normally means stop to you and me, but not to a funeral procession. Why? Because when a person is dead, the law no longer applies.

When you came to Jesus Christ, you died to the Law so that it no longer has any authority over you. But the legalist who casts aside that freedom and puts himself back under the Law suffers the consequences.  What are these consequences? Paul explains them in Galatians 5:1-4

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again that every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

The believers in Galatia were being pressured to submit to circumcision as a symbol of their submission to the Mosaic Law. But there was a lot more to it than receiving a physical sign. Legalism puts people under an impossible load. Who can possibly keep the whole Law? One way legalism affects us is the joyless bondage of trying harder, yet continually falling short.  Legalism cuts off the flow of God’s grace.

What does it mean to be “severed from Christ” and “fallen from grace?” They are two ways of saying the same thing. Think of it this way. You are able to read this post because of modern technology.  You are connected to the internet through high, powerful servers, the marvels of cyberspace and a whole lot of other things I really don’t understand.  However, if the connection is broken, everything will go dark and you won’t be able to get on-line or find my website. The equipment may be fine, but the connection is no longer intact.

Legalism cuts the connection that transmits the power and grace of God to us. When we cease operating by the grace standard and start operating by the law standard, our connection to grace is severed. Now this is not a loss of salvation, but a loss of the enjoyment of our freedom and identity in Christ.  So how do you know when you are in this kind of situation?  Very simple; you have no joy in serving Christ. Prayer is a monologue—not a dialogue—just words that fall back from the ceiling. Duty replaces delight.  It is no coincidence that cult leaders control their people by putting them in bondage to their list of do’s and don’ts. Pretty soon the followers are so dependent on the leader that they’re incapable of relating to God or anyone else on their own.

You see, legalists have the same problem as those who are trying to work their way to heaven. That is, legalists never know when they’ve done enough to earn God’s favor. Their list of rules to obey is never long enough. They have to keep adding to it to keep up with the demands.  Living this type of life always leads to frustration, discouragement and failure.  You can’t live up to that standard!  Remember, the moment you trusted Christ you died to this way of living and you are free from the bondage it brings into your life.

A man who had been born and raised in a country ruled by a strict military dictatorship immigrated to the United States and became a citizen. The man decided to celebrate his U.S. citizenship by doing some sight-seeing around the city where he was living. He was enjoying himself so much he didn’t notice that sundown was approaching. But as soon as the sunlight faded and darkness began to descend on the city, the new American panicked. He ran up to a man in a car and begged the driver to take him home as quickly as possible. The driver was taken back and tried to calm the man. When asked why he had to get home so quickly, the man cried out, “Because I don’t want to violate curfew and be arrested.” The problem was that in the man’s previous country the military had imposed a strict curfew. Everyone had to be off the streets by sundown or risk arrest. The man in the car smiled when he realized the problem. He calmly explained that since the U.S. has no curfew, the man wasn’t going to be in trouble for staying out past sundown. The new citizen simply had not yet learned to cast off the bondage of the old country. He was free, but he wasn’t living like it.

Most of us can’t even imagine living under a regime that dictates every detail of its citizens’ lives. And I doubt if we could find many people who would choose to place themselves in such legal bondage when they can be citizens of a free country. But that’s exactly what a lot of Christians have done. They are citizens of heaven and possess freedom in Christ, but for some reason they have not learned how to cast off the bondage of their birth in Adam. We sing about freedom, but many are living under an oppressive religious system. There’s a name for this way of life, this oppressive religious system; it’s called legalism. However, it’s contrary to the freedom we have through who we are in Christ.

Unfortunately, many Christians are being held hostage to the old regime. Colossians 1:13 says, “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” You see the Bible goes to great lengths to combat legalism and establish us in grace. If you are a legalist, you will never enjoy or know real spiritual freedom. If you are a legalist, the Christian life will be a burden to you, not a joy.

What is legalism in the spiritual realm? The apostle Paul gave us a working definition in Galatians 3:3, stated in the form of a question. “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Legalism is trying to please God “by the flesh”, by attempting to keep a list of laws and rules that we think will earn us God’s favor and keep us in good standing with Him. The problem with that should be obvious. We can’t earn our salvation. We didn’t begin with Christ by doing works of the flesh, but rather by the grace of God administered by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s question demands a negative reply. We cannot begin the Christian life by grace and then live it by legalism.

This is a serious matter and Paul uses the strongest language possible in addressing the Galatians, who had fallen victim to legalism. He began his letter by saying, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.” (Galatians 1:6) Legalism is so antithetical to grace that it is a completely different concept. Notice that even though Paul called legalism a “gospel,” he was using the word to shock his readers. He quickly added it was not really another gospel but a distortion of the true gospel. The thing you’ve got to remember is that everywhere Paul went, he was followed by Jewish teachers called Judaizers who tried to bring Gentile Christians under the Law of Moses. It was an attempt to put them under the bondage of a system that no one but Jesus ever kept.

You see, legalism is a guilt-motivated system. We either allow others to put us in bondage to their list of rules, or we shackle ourselves to our own list. The more guilty we feel, the more rules we add to the list and the harder we try to keep them. Here’s how it works: A Christian who leans toward legalism goes to church one Sunday and hears the preacher say, “You need to read your Bible and pray.” So this Christian feels guilty because he hasn’t been reading his Bible or praying. So he says, “You know, the preacher’s right. I ought to be reading my Bible and praying every day.” So that night he sets his alarm ahead an hour. But when the alarm goes off the next morning, this guy doesn’t really want to get up. In fact, he’s kind of grumpy, but he dutifully staggers out of bed because he feels like he has to. Is there anything wrong with a preacher telling his people they ought to read their Bible and pray? I hope not, because I’ll be the first to say it. And it’s not necessarily bad that this Christian felt remorse over his neglect of his Bible reading and prayer life. That could be the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The problem comes in the way he deals with his need. You can always tell a legalist, because to a legalist everything is “I ought to” or “I should” instead of “I want to.”  You see:

• Grace-based Christians obey because it’s their delight.

• Law-based Christians obey because it’s their duty. Obedience is certainly our duty as Christians, but duty alone without love behind it will degenerate into routine.

• Grace-based Christians obey and love it.

• Law-based Christians obey and come to resent it.

• To grace-based Christians, the spiritual life is a lifting of a burden. Jesus said, “My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30 )

• But to a legalistic Christian, living for God feels like carrying a heavy load. Interestingly, Peter called the law a “yoke” that none of the Jews was able to bear. (Acts 15:10)

Suppose both partners in a marriage carried around checklists of each other’s duties in the marriage and checked each duty off as it was done. If the whole marriage was on that basis, I’d soon be seeing that couple in my office for counseling, because marriage can’t be reduced to a checklist. Do husbands and wives who love each other help each other? Of course! But the doing has to grow out of the loving. God wants nothing less from us. If your Christian life is just a list, you’re missing it—not necessarily because the things on your list are bad. It’s just that living by a list is a faulty approach to the Christian life and a faulty approach to victory.  So remember, if you know Christ you are free - so start living like it!

A couple of years ago Gina and I went on an Alaskan Cruise with my aunt and uncle, Joi and Terry Turbeville.  Prior to our departure we began to discuss shore excursions at our ports of call.  Terry and I really like the outdoors.  If it has scales, feathers or fur, we will chase it!  So we decided that he and I were going to go halibut fishing, while the ladies went shopping in Ketchikan.  Terry and I were so excited we could hardly wait to get there.  When we finally arrived in port, we met our guide, put on the water-proof clothing and boots, and took off to try and catch a halibut.  Our guide told us that we were going to take a 30 minute boat ride to get to where we were going to fish.  The boat ride was amazing.  The scenery was just awesome and I was reminded of how majestic God’s creation really is.  Once we arrived at the location, our guide showed us the type of bait we would use and the proper fishing technique.  Almost immediately we began to catch fish.  We caught several nice halibut, cod and rock fish.  It was a trip I’ll never forget.

As I sat reminiscing about that fishing excursion, I was reminded of something in God’s Word.  In the New Testament there were three disciples who were fisherman: Peter, James and John.  When Jesus met them He said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  These three men walked away from their nets and followed Jesus, and the impact of their surrendered lives changed the world.  Those of us who are Christ-followers owe a debt of gratitude to the faithful fishers of men who have cast the gospel into the hearts of men, women, boys and girls through the years. Here are some keys to successful fishing for men.

• You have to be in the right location.  In order to catch fish you’ve got to be where they are.  Get out in the marketplace and mingle with those who don’t know Christ.

• You have to use the right bait.  Your personal story and the gospel will guarantee your success.

• You have to keep casting.  I always tell my people to share whenever the Holy Spirit gives you the nudge.  Just be available, obedient and persistent. Remember God’s timing is perfect.

• You will eventually catch a fish.  There is nothing like being there when someone surrenders their heart and life to Christ.

Just about a month ago I had the opportunity to talk to a 96 year old lady named Nancy about her relationship with God.  The result of that conversation was that she surrendered her will to God’s and received Jesus as her Lord and Savior.  Little did either of us know that in a couple of weeks the Lord would call Nancy home to be with Him.  I am convinced that the conversation we had was a divine appointment and I am so thankful she said “yes” to the gospel.  There are people all around us that need the Lord and all we have to do is be faithful; so let’s go fishing!

If you’ve been listening to the radio, the networks or cable talk shows, you’ve heard the chatter about Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska and John McCain’s Vice-Presidential running mate.  Since her surprise emergence on the national political scene just a couple of weeks ago there has been a firestorm of discussion about her track record as Governor of Alaska and whether or not she is qualified to serve in the highest office in the land.  However, amidst all of the rhetoric and debates, there are rumors, gossip, slander, character assassination and innuendos, that in many cases are too scandalous to even waste the space to repeat.  It is sad to say, but apparently this is what goes with being a leader in a post-modern world.  I don’t care who you are, if you espouse to traditional values and reject the moral relativism of the 21st century, you’d better buckle up because you are going to take some shots.

The sad thing about this crisis in leadership we have is that sometimes you can’t separate the way the world treats their leaders from the way the church treats its leaders.  I’ve been in the ministry for over 28 years and have heard story after story of ministers and their families who have been beaten up verbally, abused emotionally, and attacked spiritually.  Unfortunately, in many cases, the result has been ministers who have decided to throw in the towel and families that sometimes never recover.  I think it’s safe to say that true leadership, especially in these uncertain times, can be tough.  There are many God-called, good, honest, hardworking ministers whose families bear the scars of obeying the call of God.  Here are some statistics from Pastoral Care Inc. that I read the other day that left me shaking my head:

• 1500-2000 ministers leave the ministry every month.
• 80% say pastoral ministry has negatively impacted their families.  Many pastors’ children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
• 70% say they have a lower self-image than when they first started.
• 75% report stress related crisis at least once in their ministry.
• 40% report a serious conflict with a church member at least once a month.
• 50% have considered leaving the ministry in the past months.
• 90% do not have someone they consider to be a close friend.
• 1 out of 10 will actually retire as a minister in some form.

I don’t know about you, but these statistics leave me broken-hearted with the sobering thought that many will never come to Christ because of church politics, turf wars and control battles.   The ministry of the gospel is not a political race where we try to discredit the other guy so we can get the popular vote or gain control. The ministry of the gospel should be about doing whatever it takes to reconcile the lost to Christ.

So how should we encourage and relate to those who are on the front lines taking the shots and paying the price as spiritual leaders?  It may be hard for you to believe this, but sometimes pastors are the loneliest people in the church. Often their hours are long, the pay minimal, and the criticism harsh and constant.  Feelings of disappointment, discouragement and defeat may begin to plague the best of them.

Paul’s admonition to “serve one another in love” (Gal. 5:13) should encourage us to remember our shepherds.  Here are seven ways to make their lives better.

1. Cut the criticism–You might miss what God is trying to say or do.

2. Pray regularly–This is where you’ll tap into God’s power.

3. Express appreciation in writing–Your note may come at just the right time.

4. Use your skills and gifts to bless–God saved you to serve, not sit!

5. Squelch gossip–This is one of the 7 things God hates.

6. Offer to meet a need–We are most like Jesus when we give.

7. Be openly responsive–You’ll see a difference in his teaching or preaching.

In my ministry I have had the privilege of serving some of the finest people I know.  I have notebooks full of notes, cards, emails, pictures and letters from members that I have collected over the years.  Whenever the going gets tough and the “real enemy” begins to whisper in my ear, I’ll pick up those notebooks and read the words of encouragement that have been sent my way.  As I read and reminisce, I am reminded of how God has used me and that there those who do love, care about, appreciate and support me.  It means more to me than they will ever know!

It seems that every time I turn on the television lately another storm is forming off the coast of Africa and heading toward the United States. It is amazing how accurate we have become in projecting their path and intensity. In fact, even as I am writing, there is yet another unwelcome visitor by the name of “Ike” that is being closely watched, tracked and prepared for. This hurricane season has been very active and yet we have over a month to go before conditions begin to change and the 2008 hurricane season ends.

During the 46 years I’ve lived in Florida, I have learned a few things about storms. First, storms come in various forms. Some are brief and others can last for days. Some are relatively harmless and others can be deadly and destructive. Second, storms can be stressful. Whenever word spreads that a storm is coming we get on edge, making sure we’re prepared, and, most of all, we pray. Third, storms are temporary. Storms come and go. And finally, storms are needed. Through the storms the earth is watered and infused with nitrogen, but sometimes it is hard to see the benefits until after the storm has passed.

This past year has been a very stormy season for me and my family. Ministry and life in general has been tough. Up until this past year, I had never really had a bad day in ministry. Just over a year ago I left a church that I loved very much, a church that loved me, in order to go to another church with a seemingly great opportunity. However, it wasn’t long before I realized that things are not always as they seem. The result was a ministry there that only lasted for a very short time and left me with more questions than answers. At present I am serving on the staff of one of the largest churches in America, waiting for my next assignment from God.

Let me share with you some nuggets of truth that have given me stability during this past year. God has taught me that our personal storms have a lot in common with those of nature. In fact, 1 Peter 1:6 gives us some much needed encouragement. Let me share with you four things you can bank on as the journey of life gets rough.

1. Storms Are Stressful. Peter tells the church “you have been distressed by various trials…” Peter is saying the tough times we experience are heavy and burdensome. Through the tough times God is allowing us to be squeezed and what is on the inside is going to come out. This is a time when you can allow your light to shine and let others see that “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world”.

2. Storms Are Needed. Peter says, “…if necessary.” Trials are needed to test our faith. Faith like gold must be tested and tried to prove its worth. Whenever gold is refined, it is put in a large smelter under extreme heat. As the gold melts, the impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off. This process is repeated until no more impurities rise to the surface. It is only when the goldsmith looks into the smelter and sees a reflection of himself that the gold is considered refined. That is how God uses the storms and trials of our life. He is removing the impurities in order to see a reflection of Himself when He looks at us.

3. Storms Are Temporary. Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while…” In other words, they will pass. They are here for a reason. They will come, but they will also go. Thank God they don’t come to stay! (2 Cor. 4:8-9)

4. Storms Are Various. This means “multi-colored.” These trials come in every color of the rainbow. They come in every shape, form, and fashion. There are thousands of types of storms and trials. Storms may be relational, financial, physical, or emotional. They come unexpectedly sometimes and at other times with a warning. They are no respecter of persons and everyone must eventually deal with storms.

Now let me tell you something that I think is very exciting. Did you know that in 1 Peter 4:10 the same word is used to describe God’s grace? “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” This word manifold is the same word we use for multi-colored. Yes, storms are multi-colored, but so is God’s grace. Multi-colored grace is given to offset the multi-colored storms. For every trial there is a matching grace. That my friend is enough to bring a sense of balance and stability to your life when you feel like your world is falling apart.

Yes, this year has been tough, but I have grown by leaps and bounds. I have weathered the greatest storm of my life so far. I am so grateful that God has proven Himself faithful over and over again. He has met my every need, protected my family, and I can honestly say that things are better in many ways than they have ever been. I am thankful that God has made me better through this and not bitter. The end result is that my faith has been strengthened and I am a better husband, father, son and friend. I know that soon God will open another door for me to be a pastor again, and because of this storm I will be better pastor than I’ve ever been.