"The spirit of complaint is born out of an unwillingness to trust God with today. Like the Israelites, it means you are spending your time looking back toward Egypt or wishing for the future, all the while missing what God is doing right now."
One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
My husband and I have been in ministry for thirty years. Yeah I know...... he robbed the cradle!!!! During our tenure in ministry Bobby has been in several staff positions and has pastored two churches. We have been co-pastoring for over 17 years.
When Bobby accepted his second staff position, I was employed as a Marketing/Business Development Director in a bank in our hometown in Maryland. My husband's new position required our family to relocate to Northern Virginia.
The cost of living in the metropolitan area is quite expensive which required me to continue working outside the home. I was able to find another position in a bank in the area but was required to commute over two hours each day. Our children were enrolled in the private academy at the church where my husband was employed and he took them to school each day. Often times I would not arrive home until late in the evening because of my responsibilities at my job and the dreaded commute.
During those years women were just beginning to climb the corporate ladder in the finance industry. After my second year of employment with this organization in Virginia I received a promotion to Vice President of Marketing/Business Development and received a substantial raise. I am sad to admit it but my career was very important to me during those years. I attended numerous conferences, leadership training and took many classes at the local college. I know God wasn't happy with me during those years and He wasn't the first priority in my life even though I was a pastor's wife. That subject is for another post on my blog.
During the third year of my position at this bank God orchestrated an incredible makeover in my heart. A position opened at the academy within the church. For some strange reason this job looked extremely appealing. One thing led to another and after much prayer my husband and I decided that this opportunity was a good choice for many reasons, financial not being one of those reasons, and I accepted the position. I met with the CEO of the bank and submitted my resignation. I began my employment at the academy two weeks later taking more than a $20,000 reduction in salary.
How in the world were we going to meet our financial obligations after taking such a pay cut? We trusted God as we made the decision we both felt God was leading us to make. I never looked back nor ever regretted our choice.
Two years later my husband accepted a position as a full-time pastor in a rural community which seemed like zillions of miles away from civilization! It was quite an adjustment for our entire family but God was so good to us during those next 5 1/2 years of ministry. We took another huge blow to our income since I was not working outside of the home. I became the youth pastor during our tenure which was an unpaid position but God blessed our family in so many ways. There were weeks when we only had dollars to make it from Monday to Sunday but somehow, someway, God always came through for us. We remained faithful to Him, trusted Him and He continued to bless our ministry in awesome ways.
Five and a half years later we were called to a church in Northern Virginia where we have been for the past twelve years. During the transition we had to place total trust in God once again for everything that we were walking through. He made it possible for us to purchase a brand new home and opened a position at the District office for me. It was as though a giant puzzle was in the sky and the pieces were all coming together as we watched in awe of His magnificent plan. God's fingerprints were on everything! That is when you know that God is truly in it!
Our family experienced some very challenging years financially after I relinquished my banking career. We also experienced lean years during our first full-time pastorate but where is the trust in God? If He calls us to a work He will certainly supply the need. Maybe not all the luxuries we have been accustomed to but He will supply our needs. How can we go forward in Christ if we are unwilling to be obedient to the tasks He is calling us to do?
The ministry is all about trust and faith in the awesome God we serve. It isn't about what we want. It is all about His will and His call upon our lives. Even when we have absolutely no idea what God is doing, we must trust Him in all circumstances. Even when He calls us to a work that looks impossible we must trust Him. I know that is challenging at times but we are only capable of seeing the moment. God sees the entire picture.
God has opened doors for my own ministry that I never imagined were possible. Trust and Obey..... there is no other way........... Are you trusting God with today? He is amazing and I love Him so!
Blessings friends!
Enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your words of encouragement. The blogs you post are such an inspiration. I praise God for using your through this site to reach women.
ReplyDeleteBless you.
www.dove-ministries.org
www.dove-ministries.blogspot.com
Trust and obey ...something I've been learning lately. It's interesting how we each have gone down different wilderness paths. But God does have a plan and a purpose and we need to be open to listen. Often it involves things that don't make sense in our humanness. But that is where it takes trust, right?
ReplyDeleteThank you Deb for joining in with us today!
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Great reminders of how to listen and obey in each circumstance and choice put before us.
ReplyDeleteHow can we go forward in Christ if we are unwilling to be obedient to the tasks He is calling us to do?
ReplyDeleteSobering question Deborah. I pray He makes me faithful to His call, whatever it is.