Our pastor has been preaching through the Sermon on the Mount during the season on Lent. They were all challenging, practical sermons that were bringing up real questions in my mind about what it looks like to follow Jesus every day in practical ways. I was beginning to feel real conviction about how comfortable and selfish our lives were becoming.
But we weren't sure what God was calling us to do. Open our home and foster children? Give more money to certain organizations? Find a local ministry that we could volunteer with as a family? Dig deeper to find needs within the church that we could help with? Theoretically I was willing to sell all of our belongings and move to Africa or something. We were processing all of these things.
Then, on Tuesday afternoon Aaron came home and told me that his contract at the school he teaches at will not be renewed in the fall.
Just like that, in that moment, I knew that this was what God was preparing my heart for.
Instead of calling me to the great and grandiose things that I had been thinking about God was calling me to trust Him and follow Him through a period of uncertainty for our family. God was taking away the certainty and comfort of Aaron's job and asking me, "Do you trust me?"
We have worked hard the past few years to get and remain debt free (except for our mortgage). We put Aaron through graduate school without going into debt. We were finally reaping the rewards of that work. We have a beautiful house, a growing savings account, and more financial freedom then we have had in a long time. I was starting to feel comfortable. Safe.
And God is saying, "Do you trust me? Will you follow me?"
Last night I started to cry. I said, "Why does it seem that every time we start getting financially stable and comfortable something happens to mess it up?!" Aaron replied, "Maybe we aren't supposed to be financially stable and comfortable. Maybe we are supposed to love and serve God and let Him take care of the rest."
So, we don't know what the future holds. The most obvious prayer is that Aaron would be able to find another teaching job before the summer is over. But that may not be God's plan. We know He is good and He loves us so we will take one day at a time and watch the plan unfold.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is today alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
But we weren't sure what God was calling us to do. Open our home and foster children? Give more money to certain organizations? Find a local ministry that we could volunteer with as a family? Dig deeper to find needs within the church that we could help with? Theoretically I was willing to sell all of our belongings and move to Africa or something. We were processing all of these things.
Then, on Tuesday afternoon Aaron came home and told me that his contract at the school he teaches at will not be renewed in the fall.
Just like that, in that moment, I knew that this was what God was preparing my heart for.
Instead of calling me to the great and grandiose things that I had been thinking about God was calling me to trust Him and follow Him through a period of uncertainty for our family. God was taking away the certainty and comfort of Aaron's job and asking me, "Do you trust me?"
We have worked hard the past few years to get and remain debt free (except for our mortgage). We put Aaron through graduate school without going into debt. We were finally reaping the rewards of that work. We have a beautiful house, a growing savings account, and more financial freedom then we have had in a long time. I was starting to feel comfortable. Safe.
And God is saying, "Do you trust me? Will you follow me?"
Last night I started to cry. I said, "Why does it seem that every time we start getting financially stable and comfortable something happens to mess it up?!" Aaron replied, "Maybe we aren't supposed to be financially stable and comfortable. Maybe we are supposed to love and serve God and let Him take care of the rest."
So, we don't know what the future holds. The most obvious prayer is that Aaron would be able to find another teaching job before the summer is over. But that may not be God's plan. We know He is good and He loves us so we will take one day at a time and watch the plan unfold.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is today alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
1 comment:
Sarah, I am so sorry. I will be praying for you and your family.
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