Keeping Your Eye On The Instruments

My son, Zachary, is crazy about anything having to do with planes. It all started this past April when our family took a trip to Chicago to visit some friends. Since then, he has consumed numerous books about planes, regularly collects any airport paraphernalia he can get his hands on, and loves to visit the lookout at Charlotte Douglas Airport.

The other day, we were talking about planes and what pilots have to do when it's cloudy or dark. Obviously, pilots can't look out the window to see where they are at. It's in these times that they learn to rely on radar and other instruments like GPS that help them navigate their way to their destination. I must admit, even though I know this, I still feel better about flying on sunny days! There's just something a little freaky to me about flying through the clouds! Talk to a pilot, however, and they have no problem using the instruments of the airplane. Why? Not only do they know how to interpret the data, they trust the instruments.

My discussion with Zachary reminded me that there are times in our lives when clouds and darkness roll in. Maybe it's a sickness or a job loss. It could be a divorce or financial hardship. Whatever it is, it's in these times that we need to learn how to use and trust the instruments.

What instruments? I'm glad you asked! God's Word is the only instrument that can help us as believers navigate through the tough times of our lives. Don't get me wrong. God will surround us with encouraging people and he will provide the resources we need. He even gives us joy in the midst of heartache. But when it all comes down to it, we need to see that, although our circumstances may indicate otherwise, our life is headed in God's direction. This can only come from God's Word.

Perhaps you find yourselves wondering how you will get through a tough circumstance in your life. Here are some of the scriptures that I have been dwelling on over the past year. I've provided links to them so you can read them and meditate on them. Let God renew your mind as you read them. Remember, no matter what your circumstance, God's Word will navigate you through it and you will know his will for your life.

Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Psalms 37:3-8, Genesis 50:19-21, Isaiah 55:6-11, Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 1, 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Perhaps you have a scripture that you look to in hard times. If so, I encourage you to post it so that others can benefit from it.

Enjoy your flight and make sure to keep your eye on the instruments!

The Seven Sins Of Dying Churches

I ran across this blog post at The Visible Church a while back. I think it speaks to some of the main reasons why so many churches in America are on the decline. It seems to me that many of these sins stem from another sin. I believe that we have lost our first love (Rev. 3:14-22). Do you attend a dying church? If so, what are you doing about it?

Sin 1: Doctrine Dilution
"Teaching anything less than the absolute truths in Scripture will make the younger generation feel betrayed when they learn that a large gap exists between what the Bible really says and what they were taught in church" (16).

Sin 2: Loss of Evangelistic Passion
"Dying churches have little evangelistic passion. It is the responsibility of the pastor and other key leaders to exhibit this evangelistic passion" (17).

Sin 3: Failure to be Relevant
"Churches that do not find ways to become relevant in their respective communities will eventually falter. Churches that keep their internal culture unchanged for fifty years while the world around them goes through continual periods of metamorphosis typically die with the old culture" (17).

Sin 4: Few Outwardly Focused Ministries
"As crucial as Bible studies and fellowship are, dying churches gorge themselves on closed study groups and churchwide fellowship events while neglecting outreach in the community. Dying churches heavily skew their ministries internally" (18).

Sin 5: Conflict over Personal Preferences
"People within the church can squabble over the most insignificant things (pews, seats, sofas, style of newsletters and bulletins, etc.). When the church focuses on trivial matters, the greater gospel message is left on the sidelines" (18).

Sin 6: The Priority of Comfort
"Dying churches are comfortable with their ministries. They do nothing outside the bounds of their comfort levels" (19). These churches are often plagued with the attitude, "That's the way we've always done it!"

Sin 7: Biblical Illiteracy
"We are to be diligent to present ourselves to God, workers not needing to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). If a church member does not understand the basics of Scripture, then they are hampered in their witness" (19).

Any thoughts?

Lessons Learned From Job Loss

I wrote an article for the Spiritual Care Support Ministries newsletter a while back that I thought I'd share with all of you. It's a little longer than my normal blog entries, but I think it's worth posting. Please feel free to pass it on to anyone who is currently unemployed.

On Monday, November 9, 2009, I had an experience that I hardly expected and never will forget. It was a typical Monday afternoon. My assistant and I were chipping away at the myriad of things that needed to be done for the week. As a worship pastor, there is never a lack of things to do! 

I was just about to pack up my stuff to leave when my office phone rang. It was my boss, the lead pastor. He invited me to come to his office to chat before I left.  I soon found out that our “chat” was much more than a time for small talk. He informed me that the church was going to be embracing a different type of leadership structure and he would no longer need my services. 

That day, I started down a road that I’ve never traveled before. As a pastor, I’ve helped people who were unemployed and did my best to understand their pain. I can now say that I know their struggles first hand. Here are some of the lessons I learned while I was unemployed. Hopefully, they will be a source of wisdom and encouragement to you. 

1. Learn to manage your emotions. Like any loss, my journey started with many negative emotions. I first felt denial which soon led to blame and anger. I reasoned, “How could such an injustice happen to me? I was a faithful employee, always doing more than I was asked to do. How could an organization, a church nonetheless, devalue me this much? How could God let this happen?”

My anger then led to sadness and self-pity. I saw myself as the victim in the story. I couldn’t stop dwelling on what had happened. I replayed the incident endlessly in my mind, trying to pinpoint something that I could have done differently to prevent my loss. Unfortunately, like an endless cycle, my self-pity led back to blame and then to anger again. 

This went on for some time before I realized what was happening and began to address my problem head on. I came to realize that feeling these emotions wasn’t wrong, but letting them control me was. With the help of some dear people in my life, I began to forgive those who had hurt me. It was then that I felt the grip that my emotions had on me begin to loosen. 

2. You are not what you do. Listen to a group of men talk and one of the first questions they ask each other is “What do you do for a living?” As men, we naturally find our identity in our careers. I certainly have found this to be true. Being without a job made it difficult at times to find something to talk about with the guys.  It also made me feel less important at times around them.

All of this has forced me to take a step back and assess who I am. First and foremost, I am a child of God. I am a husband and a father. While I currently may not hold the position, I am still a pastor and a worship leader. These are all gifts from God and they leave me with much for which to be thankful. Lately, I find myself talking to my friends about some of these treasures in my life. It’s a good reminder that I am not what I do.

3. God keeps His Word.  Job loss often leads to extended times of waiting. In some cases, job seekers search for a year or more. As one who lived this reality, I found the waiting process to be frustrating and even draining at times. The hardest part has been dealing with employers who promise to call back and never do. We live in a day and age where many people no longer keep their word. This kind of treatment can make a person feel like no one really cares at all. 

Lately, I’ve been dwelling on the fact that God always keeps his Word. Read through the scriptures and you will find that God has a great plan for his children and that He always follows through. God operates in a way that is in stark contrast to those looking for someone to hire. He will come through in His perfect time. And in the meantime, He will give you strength to wait if you ask Him for it.

4. Worry less, pray more!  Being without a job can definitely put a strain on the finances. As men, we are usually the main providers for our families. Not being able to fulfill this duty naturally causes us to worry about our future. Believe me; I’ve spent a good number of hours lying awake at night worrying about my family!

One thing that has helped me to break this habit is to remember that worry does not change my situation. If I am doing all that I can to find a job and trusting God with my situation, I need not worry. When I begin to worry, I do my best to turn it around by praying and asking God for help. As for my finances, God has been and still is providing for my family in some pretty unusual ways. I wish I had time to tell you all of it!

Perhaps you have recently lost your job. Whatever you do, don’t give up! Remember that there are many others fighting the same battle as you. Better yet, you can be sure that God is with you and is helping you find your next job. Even when it seems like He is not there, He is working out a good plan for you. His silence is not his absence. Reach out to Him and you will find all that you need.