HE SAID - KINGDOM WORK
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” - Philippians 2:13
I understand the appeal of prison. The security, the shelter, the daily sustenance provided by tax payers. Once you’ve tasted the fear of freedom, returning to prison can seem mighty appealing. I know. Two years ago I was tempted to return to prison, to my own, maximum security facility.
Before stepping into the stark landscape of freedom, I’d spent my whole career working for myself but I’d grown tired of it. I’d seen whole industries implode, my benefits cut, the meager investments in my retirement account, decimated. As a hard working American, I’d done everything my dad had told me to do. Get an education, earn a degree, work hard at every task and pick my nose in private. But in the end there was no security.
So when God called me again, as He’d called so many times before, and asked me to come to work for Him, I signed up. The paragraph on the job description was blank, the starting salary missing and the location vague. But that didn’t matter. I was ready for a new employer.
Then came that day when I looked over my shoulder and turned back toward my prison.
“I’m working at a job that isn’t paying the bills,” I wrote in my prayer journal. “But I’ve kept at it. That’s faith. I’m doing what you’ve called me to do even though I see few opportunities for advancement. That’s hope. I’ve shelved my dreams in order to spend all my energy training for this craft. That’s selling out to serve you.”
“And now it’s fall and the sky is gray. The air is damp and the wind cold. The season of hope has passed. Summer is gone, but it never really came for me. All that is left is fall and I feel as if I’ve failed in the job you’ve given me. Did I get it wrong? Should I go back?”
I understand the appeal of prison. It represents safety and significance, even if on a limited scale. The call to serve God, to follow Christ, is not a life of lottery winnings. It is a job. It requires work. And there are no employment manuals.
But Christ says that with perseverance, we will reap a harvest. Maybe not in material blessings and maybe not in this lifetime. But we will share in His joy. And what was the job God gave me?
To write. To become an author. To do what I’m doing today so that others may know of His goodness and glory.
When you hear His call, say “yes.” When you are tempted to turn back toward your prison, say “no.” And when someone tells you that your ministry made difference in their life, say “you’re welcome.”
Then thank God for the opportunity to work for Him.
SHE SAID - You Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” - Philippians 2:13
There are some things in life we have to do for ourselves. When asked why, there’s no good answer other than, “I just needed to do it.” I’d like to think I could hop on Interstate 81 and have a straight shot, four lanes and seventy miles per hour, to get from point A to point B. Unfortunately life has other plans for me, so I exit occasionally to grab a bite or take in a sight. Life is like that. Drive, exit, drive, exit, drive, potty break.
We all have roads to travel and our reasons, sometimes only known to the deepest part of our being, as to why we drive the routes we do. I remember picking my grandmother up from the bus station once and telling her that for someone who was supposed to enjoy a trip she looked pretty rough. She grinned and said, “I look this way for a reason. I’ve traveled a lot of roads and a lot weren’t paved, what do you expect?”
I’m not sure what I expected, but humorous as that was, her analogy made sense.
When we start down a road toward something we’ve longed for it looks like it’ll be a straight shot to our destination. However, many of us lose sight of point B long before they arrive, while others become lost and turn around. But for those who follow the map, stay the course—the reward is just ahead.
Heaven is that way—you know, due north, left turn upward. The problem is we take side trips. We never want to wait in traffic or be inconvenienced. That’s just not how you get there. We get there by following the Words the Father has given us. The directions are pretty clear. We’re the ones who muddle them, who insist on taking Highway Exciting only to find the excitement was all in dodging the potholes. Then we have to turn around, dodge again and hope we find the on ramp to the interstate.
Amazingly enough, the Father waits patiently for us to do what we feel we need to do before we finally drive to Him. He provides a map, complete with yellow highlighted directions and when we arrive, He will work for the good. Won’t you flip open your map and follow?
By the way. Don’t wait too long—you may miss the turn completely.
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