Dave is the Senior Pastor of Cypress Bible Church in Cypress, Texas. This column is published weekly and is designed to motivate both corporate and personal life transformation, to help us look more like Christ.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” Jesus in Matthew 7:24
“A successful performance at a moment of crisis rests largely and essentially upon the depths of a self, wisely and rigorously prepared in the totality of its being—mind and body.” Unknown.
Success in life depends, in broad terms, on both dependence upon God and exerting personal effort. I cannot succeed spiritually without the working of God and He will not make me succeed spiritually without my exerting effort. I cannot do it without Him and He will not do it without me. Depending on God is paramount. Today the focus on my thoughts is on the “exerting personal effort” piece of thriving in life.
Jesus performed perfectly at all His points of ambush and opportunity in major part because He had prepared perfectly before He came to these events. In Matthew 7:24 Jesus compared the continual alignment of our lives with His Words to the wisdom of building a home on a solid foundation. Jesus was operating from a solid foundation when He succeeded in His trials and temptations.
Writer Dallas Willard talks about the difference between “training and trying.” All of us come to opportunities and to crisis. Sometime we know they are coming and sometimes they overtake us in an ambush. Willard says that how we do at these points will depend on whether we have trained for the moment or just come to the moment and determined to try real hard. Suppose that two athletes of equal ability are entered in a pole vault meet. One of them came well trained and the other came simply determined to try very hard. You know who will win.
Training for pole vaulting or for spiritual growth or for seizing opportunities that have not yet arrived is not generally glamorous or fun stuff. It is often hard and usually unseen by anyone and occasionally very tedious. Training for the pole vaulter involves hours of watching film and hours of lifting weights and hours of sprints and hours of practicing technique and hours of vaulting in front of a coach and hours of hard, often very tedious stuff.
Training for spiritual maturity and for successful resistance to temptation is hard, disciplined, un-glamorous, unseen, application of myself to the Word of God and to prayer and to meditation and to responsiveness to my mentors and to diligent work. If I am willing to enter this kind of training I will reap the fruit of this training. I will come to the temptations and resist. I will come to the opportunities and shine. I will come to the attacks and not retaliate. I will come to the threats and not be anxious. I will come to the chances for impact and make a difference.
The challenge is this: If I want to be in a diligent, ongoing spiritual training program I will need to initiate it and I will need to be diligent in keeping it going. The same is true for you. No one else will mandate the program and no one else will initiate the program and no one else will maintain the program.
Too much of my own life has been trying real hard at the point of opportunity and too little of my own life has been training diligently in the day-in and day-out course of life. I want to change that in my life. I am tired of trying real hard at the points of temptation or trial or ambush or opportunity—and having mixed results. I am tired of not being ready and trained. I am spurred on by the view of what could be if I came to these events in life and was thoroughly ready to succeed.
Imagine yourself getting in your car to drive to lunch and meet a friend. As you are climbing in you think to yourself, “I’m having a bad day.”
Maybe your AC broke and it is 88 degrees in the house. Or, maybe the boss rejected a major project you wanted. Or, maybe the dog threw up on the carpet. Or, maybe your son called from school and he was in trouble. Or, maybe you failed a big physics test. Or, maybe you heard a raccoon in the attic. Or, maybe you smashed your finger in the car door. Or, maybe three of these things happened. “I’m having a bad day.”
We have our “bad days” when things are going wrong. Sometimes they are annoying things like the car won’t start and sometimes they are massive things like your sister was in a horrible car wreck.
I find myself inordinately annoyed with the annoying things. I give too much energy to the pull-start cord breaking on my mower. It is a 1 on the annoyance scale and I make it a 7. I pour emotional energy out on the ground—emotional energy that I cannot afford to waste.
The annoying happening, broken mower rope or something else, is clearly hooking in to some inner anger or anxiety or pet peeve or lack of emotional energy or spiritual immaturity or several of these combined.
I also find myself inordinately frightened with the massive things. The horrible event like a sister clinging on to dear life is bad enough. Then I respond to that reality with anxiety, fear, and anger and the horrible situation is made worse. I have a gift for worst case scenarios. Something bad can happen and I can take that event and move on to even worse things. I can take almost any severe event and “worst case scenario” it. It almost always ends with me living under a bridge without family or friends and being terribly sick.
Sometimes I have a bad day because I take a little annoyance and make it into what my mother used to call a “Federal Case.” (As in, “David it is nothing. Don’t make a federal case out of it.”)
Sometimes I have a bad day because I take a horrible event and make it worse and worse and worse until the entire universe is made of despair—both for time and eternity.
Conclusion #1 is a conclusion that you and I have heard 907 times but permit me to remind us of it once more. Our response to an annoyance or a horrible event is a major part of exacerbating the problem or of addressing the problem. Responses make situations better or worse. My choice! Your choice!
Conclusion #2 may be less well rehearsed in the Christian faith. The only totally bad day that I can think of is this: “Depart from Me for I never knew you.”
“How’s your day going so far?”
What do you do when something goes away—something you wanted to keep? A few years ago I read a book that helped me greatly in this question. The book is called Transitions and the author is William Bridges. The book is more than 30 years old but it addresses the stages of transitions so clearly that it is a timeless book. How can you be skillful in navigating change?
Bridges says every transition has three phases—death, chaos and confusion, rebirth.
Here are those three phases fleshed out a little more:
- Phase One: Death. Simply put “something ends.” Some of the endings are big and some are relatively little. A pastor leaves. A key friend becomes alienated. A spouse dies. A job is taken away. A dream dies. An application is denied. A favorite car is wrecked. Employment ends and retirement begins. High school ends. A beloved pet dies. The empty nest phase of life starts. There are probably hundreds of major transitions that could be listed here. In each case something dies or ends or goes away or is lost. Sometimes it is a small thing like a favorite shirt being ruined and sometimes it is a big thing like a family member dying or leaving. But small or big something has ended. The stage is characterized by grief, disappointment, anger, disbelief, and bargaining to get back the precious person or thing.
- Phase Two: Chaos and Confusion. In this time immediately after something has ended—which may be days, months, or years depending on the situation—there is a time of chaos and confusion. When we are in this phase we generally get anxious. We cannot see the solution. We are grieving whatever has ended and we are unsure of what is going to happen. We look forward but there is no clear path forward and there is no hope on the horizon. We cannot believe that there would be a replacement of that thing that has died. In the case of something precious being gone—like a spouse or a child—there is the despair that the person could never be replaced because they are just too precious. In the case of a spouse dying or leaving there is the fear that I will never have another spouse. The end of this phase is uncertain and often it feels as if it will never end.
- Phase Three: Rebirth. This is the time when the void in life is filled or the need is met or the hope is fulfilled. In the case of unemployment it would be getting a new job. In the case of losing a spouse it would be getting remarried. In the case of being rejected for a college it would be getting into another college. In the case of having a contract rejected it would be getting a new contract signed. If a pet died and new pet was gained. The rebirth phase is not a time when a beloved person is “replaced.” But it is a time when a void of some kind is filled and a need is met and joy is kindled by the new person or thing that is the rebirth.
What do you do in these phases? I am sure that the answer to this simple question would fill a book. Not having time to write a book—and not having the expertise to fill a book—just let me give a couple of key thoughts.
- What to do in Phase One when something has died: Grieve well. Let it hurt. Do not say it doesn’t hurt. Resist the temptation to self-medicate. Draw close to God. Draw close to the people who care about you. Cry. Give grace to the people who shower you with platitudes and syrupy poems. Don’t make any life altering decisions.
- What to do in Phase Two when chaos and confusion have ensued: Trust in God. Pray. Ask for help in gaining perspective. Stay connected to the people you love. Fight the tendency to “worst case scenario” thinking. Counsel with your advisors—people who care about you and have wisdom. Discipline yourself to test the input of others—even though you are in confusion you must not get sloppy in your thinking.
- What to do in Phase Three when the rebirth has happened: Rejoice. Give thanks to God and others. Share your joy and your story. Cultivate ongoing gratitude for all that you have. Cherish the thing that has reborn. Be a great steward of the thing that has now come into your life. Love it well but hold it lightly.
Death. Chaos and confusion. Rebirth.
You may be in one of these phases with something little or something big. The common denominator in every phase is, as our former pastor Joe Wall said: “Stay close to the Shepherd.”
Jesus loves us deeply and shepherds us well. His love for us and His skill in shepherding us are not affected by the phase of transition that we happen to be personally experiencing right now. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—when I am in Phase One and/or in Phase Two and/or Phase Three.
“Stay close to the Shepherd.”
The two phrases, “Please pray for me.” And “I sure will,” must be two of the most spoken and least completed phrases in the Christian faith. We say it but don’t much do it.
With that as background let me say to you, “Please pray for me.” (And pray for all the elders and all the staff at CBC.) Then you may ask, “Why, Dave? You seem to be doing fine. Did something happen?” “Did you do something wrong?” “Have you been diagnosed with something bad?” The answer is, “As far as I know I am doing fine and nothing has happened. I have not done anything to disqualify me from ministry and I have not been diagnosed with anything life threatening.” However, I want to give you some reasons to pray for me and for the other pastors, the elders, the team leaders, and all the believers at CBC.
Pray for me. I haven’t had a heart attack, but I could. If I did, it might well be the end of my ministry and the end of my life and the beginning of a difficult life for Kathi. Pray for me. I haven’t embezzled any money, but I could. If I did, the ugly consequences would batter people in four different time zones. Pray for me. I haven’t given up and decided to go into insurance sales, but I could. If I did, it would be turning my back on my calling. Pray for me. I haven’t had an angry person tell a big lie about me, but I could. If that did happen, it could mean the end of my ministry and the beginning of my bitterness. Pray for me. I haven’t started coasting and doing the bare minimum to get by in my ministry, but I could. If I did, it would be the beginning of a long, hard discouragement for my family and for all my ministry partners. Pray for me. I haven’t committed adultery, but I could. If I did, it would devastate my wife, my children, my son-in-law, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren, my friends, my fellow believers at CBC, the testimony of CBC, and countless other people. Pray for me. I haven’t hit a child with my car, but I could. If I did, it would cause untold sadness to the child, his family, and me as well. Pray for me. I haven’t started using pornography, but I could. If I did, it would dishonor my God, harm my marriage, and destroy my ministry. Pray for me. I haven’t become addicted to alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or drugs, but I could. If I did, the effects would be widespread and extremely negative. Pray for me. I haven’t descended into a black, long-term depression, but I could. If I did, I probably couldn’t stay in ministry and maybe couldn’t even get a job and we would lose our house and my wife would have the burden of trying to make a living for us and trying to carry a husband in a state of hopelessness.
The reality is that I am very vulnerable. I am a prime target of Satan and he would love to destroy or discredit me. I am hated by the world system because I am a lover of God. I am vulnerable to sinful choices in my own flesh. I am very vulnerable.
Pray for me. I haven’t done a lot of things, but I could. If I did any one of many different things, the consequences for me, my family, and CBC would be appalling. The worst consequence of all is that God would be dishonored, His power and His holiness questioned. Unbelievers who heard about my fall would wag their tongues about the hypocrisy of pastors, and the sinfulness of Christians, and the falseness of the Bible, and the irrelevance of God. Many believers would be angry and feel abandoned, would talk about me, would be embittered toward me, and would never forgive me. Many other believers would have their faith shaken, and their walk with God would take yet one more discouraging hit.
Please pray for me. Put my picture on your fridge or my name on your dashboard and remember to pray for me. Pray that I would continually draw near to God. Ask God that I will live a holy life and a balanced life. Ask God that no one will lie about me and that I will not have a heart attack. Pray for my wisdom and my decision-making. Ask that I would be diligent and focused. Pray for me to be faithful for the long haul. Pray that I would be gracious and truthful. Pray that I would be courageous and kind. Pray that God would increase my ministry impact. Pray that I would keep short accounts with God—confessing immediately. Pray that I would not batter myself over my sins and mistakes. Ask that I would not steer my life into the ditch. Pray that I will be a great blessing to my wife, children, grandchildren, and many others. Pray that I would be quick to confess and slow to anger. Pray that I would be careful to listen and slow to speak. Pray that I would not dwell on negative things nor be anxious about problems. Pray for my testimony and my health and my finances. Ask that I would honor God in every thought and every action. Pray that I would always love God and obey Him. Pray that God’s hand would be with me at all times. Pray that God would keep me from being harmed by evil and from causing evil. Ask that I would serve God and seek His glory. Pray that God would bless me with great spiritual, relational, emotional, and ministerial wellbeing.
Pray for me. I mean it. Really, pray for me. Pray for yourself. Pray for everyone you know. The things I have listed above apply to all of us who have trusted Christ—we are all vulnerable and all dependent.
One of my major battles as a child and young adult was the belief that God was against me. I felt that He was out to get me, and He had good reason to be against me because I was a first-rate sinner. He had the goods on me and He was going to throw the eternal book at me. I was afraid of Him. I was fully convinced of my personal guilt. I was keenly aware that my life and my eternity would be filled with misery and pain because the Almighty God of the universe had it in for me. It was a miserable way to live. The belief that God was against me dominated my life and it cost me unmeasured emotional energy. “God is against me.” What could be more miserable?
Sometimes we get to thinking that God is against us when we are feeling overwhelmed with guilt. We do something sinful and guilt sets in and the only thing we can think about is the holiness of God. We try to rationalize the sinful act and it does not work. We try to minimize the sin and it doesn’t work. We try to project the sin on someone else and it doesn’t work. We try to deny the sin and still the guilt persists. We try not to think about it and it becomes the only thing we can think about. So, under the cloud of guilt, we conclude that God is against us.
At times we fear God is against us when the circumstances of life go badly for us. Something beyond our control, like health or loss or an enemy, goes terribly wrong and we begin to suffer and we can see that we will be suffering for a long, long time. It is very easy to feel that God is against us. Dr. Larry Crabb put it this way: “The greatest temptation in life is to doubt the goodness of God.” “If God is good,” we ask, “Why would He let me suffer this misery?” He must be against me for some reason.
We may think God is against us when dreams die. In the deep parts of ourselves we cherish things. We want these things very badly and we pray for them and hope for them and dream about the day when they will be real. At times the desire is so intense that we feel almost a physical pain in our chest when we think about the unfulfilled desire. Then one day we realize that the dream has died. What we want so badly will never be. And we conclude that God is against us. After all, the thing that we wanted was a good thing and there was really no reason for God to withhold it from us. Either God is not good or He is against us.
At times we believe God is against us because He is so silent there in the heavens. We need desperately to hear from Him on some matter or decision or need. We pray and pray and pray and nothing happens. God won’t talk to us. He won’t answer our smallest question. He won’t give us the tiniest sign. He is silent. Why? He must be against us. If God were for us would it trouble Him all that much to give just one simple little answer or response to our incessant prayers?
But God is not against us. Even in times of guilt, fear, silence, ugly circumstances and dying dreams God is not against us. God’s basic stance is to be “for” us rather than “against” us. He demonstrated that stance once and for all in the sacrifice of His Son. That sacrifice was of such proportions and magnitude that we can never again doubt the stance of God toward us. We never again have any reason that He intends anything but good for us. We never again must fear that any circumstance in life is for other than our good.
Many people spend their entire lives believing that God is against them. That belief is entirely inconsistent with a Father Who would sacrifice His only Son for us. I have sons and I know how precious sons are. I love my boys more every day. I cannot think of a person or a group of people or really of any circumstance for which I would be willing to sacrifice my sons. But God did just that and that means, among other things, that He is for us.
So, the foundational evidence of God’s being for us is the sacrifice of His Son. Beyond this tremendous evidence there is plenty of other evidence about His stance of benevolence toward us. He created us, gifted us, provided for us, directed us, gave us something meaningful to do with our lives, destined us to eternal glory, and filled our lives with hope.
Romans 8:28-32. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, he also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
God is for us. We know that because He gave to us His Son. Now, between here and heaven, He will also give to us all the things that we need for life and godliness. Great news, friends: God is for us!
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
2 Timothy 2:2
Three or four years after Kathi and I came to faith in Christ we went looking for a new church home. The church we grew up in was teaching things that we did not think squared with the Bible. We visited a small Bible-teaching church that some friends recommended. It was nice enough and the people were nice and it seemed like a fine place at first blush. The pastor got up—he was an older barrel-chested man with a crew cut of stiff gray hair and a very down to earth manner. His name was Norm, affectionately known as Pastor Norm, to the congregation. He began explaining a Bible passage verse by verse and it was very compelling. About 20 minutes into the message he got very animated and began actually shouting at us and spitting in excitement and passion. This went on for five minutes. Then he calmed down again and finished the teaching as he had begun it—steadily explaining to us verse after verse.
I was bitterly put off by these five minutes of shouting. Civilized preachers did not do such things in my church of upbringing and in my view of how things should be.
As we walked out of the church I said to Kathi, “Honey, we’ll never be back here again!” She agreed. It had made us both very uncomfortable.
I guess you know where this is going. The next Sunday we were back. And the next and the next and the next for more than two and a half years until we moved to Dallas to begin seminary.
Pastor Norm grew on me like few people ever have. I came to see his passion and his compassion. I came to appreciate his diligence and his sacrificial service. Eventually I understood his vision and his evangelistic zeal. I finally discovered his “I don’t much care if people think I am a nut as long as I am sold out to Christ and His Kingdom” approach to life.
The summer after my second year at seminary I came back to Norm’s church to serve as a summer intern under him—to learn some of the ropes of pastoral ministry.
Pastor Norm built into my life that summer to an extent that I cannot explain to you. He let me preach 8 times and I am sure the people of the church were thinking, “OK, Norm, give him a shot or two but 8 times?!?! Have pity on us!” Pastor Norm stopped using my name and started calling me “The Preacher.” After every message I went in to his office and asked for a critique. Every time he said, “That was just great. There is nothing I know to make that better.” (OK, so he wasn’t a homilitician.) The point was that Pastor Norm was the first one to believe in me—far before I believed in myself. He included me in pastoral duties. He had me read Psalm 23 at a funeral and then drove straight to the bank and cashed the $30 honorarium check and gave me half of it. He had comforted the family, interacted with the funeral director, run the entire service, preached, prayed, and led the singing. Then he gave me $15 for reading six Bible verses. He had me teach adult Sunday School. He arranged a free house for us for the summer. He motivated the Body of the little church to give us a love offering to get back to school and they were very generous with us—these were much needed funds. Pastor Norm took me under his wing for the entire summer.
Pastor Norm built in to my life in a way that permanently shaped me.
Only years later did I realize all that he had done for me. Unfortunately Pastor Norm had already passed away. I wrote a long and detailed letter to his widow just to say what I wish I had said to him. I am still intellectually amazed and emotionally moved by what the man did to build Christ into my life and to facilitate ministry growth in me.
Pastor Norm invested in Dave Gibson and Dave Gibson barely realized at the time what a gift he was being given. Pastor Norm is one of the first people I am looking up in heaven to give him a big hug and say, “Thank you so much! I didn’t even realize the magnitude of the gift you were giving me.”
I told you that story to say this: It would make an eternal difference for you to invest in some other people—and you would love doing it. In eternity there would be a bunch of people looking you up to give you a big hug and say, “Thank you so much! I didn’t even realize the magnitude of the gift you were giving me.”
This Sunday we are beginning a series out of 2 Timothy called “Invested!” We are working through the entire Book of 2 Timothy to understand what God is saying to us and to see how we can invest in others as Paul invested in Timothy.
Pastor Norm was no Apostle Paul and Dave Gibson was no Timothy. But, just like Paul and Timothy, both of us got in on the blessing of an “Invested!” relationship.
Do you want in?
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe?’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
C. S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia
In his famous series called The Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis introduces us to a magnificent lion named “Aslan.” Aslan is the Christ figure in his amazing allegory. Aslan is the One Who guides the four children in Narnia and challenges them and teaches them and stretches them and dies for them. They come to love Him deeply. The depth of His wisdom and strength of His character are both frightening and magnetic to them.
Lewis makes it very clear that Aslan is, among other things, on the move. He is an active and intentional and purposeful Being. He moves where He will and when He will to accomplish what He wills. He does not ask where and when He should move. As the sovereign God of all He simply exercises His own will to act in the counsel of His own wisdom.
For us as individual believers, and as a Body of believers, the question becomes, “Where is He moving and are we moving with Him?”
A writer named Henry Blackabee defined this reality about God by saying that we need to find out where God is working and then simply join Him in His work. This work of joining God requires an amazing spiritual sensitivity and a full submission to the Spirit to join the work. We cannot join if we do not know where He is working and we cannot join if we are in rebellion.
Take a few minutes to reflect on your own life and relationships. Do you see God moving in a specific place or two?
Beyond being on the move C.S. Lewis declares that Aslan is also not “safe.” That is not to say that He is evil or callous or dangerous or unconcerned with your wellbeing or the wellbeing of His followers. It is to say that He is so committed to growing and using His followers that He is willing to stretch them and to call them into hard things and to let them navigate hard places and force them to trust on Him fully. He is willing to let them suffer and endure pain for the sake of both their holiness and their usefulness.
Take a few minutes to reflect on your own life. Do you see anywhere where God is stretching or growing or challenging you?
The thing about Jesus is that He is always moving and He is not safe.
And, just as importantly, He is also good. The places and ways He moves are always guided by His goodness. The stretching and the suffering He allows are always guided by His goodness.
In joining the moving God you can find yourself in hard places. But you cannot find yourself separated from the good God.
In walking with the God “Who is not safe” you can find yourself stretched and struggling. But you cannot find yourself separated from the good God.
In anything and everything you cannot find yourself separated from the good God.
Several years ago I was looking at books in the architecture section of Barnes and Noble. I came across a beautiful book that documented the work of a university architecture department that was building public structures in the poorest county in America. The book explained that every architecture student went and lived in this poor county during their fourth year of study and completed a building project—a chapel or a ball field or a home or a set of apartments or a church. The student was responsible for finding the ground, engaging the community, deciding on the building, drawing the building, finding the funds, and getting it built.
The book was full of glossy color photos of projects the students had created with the help of these communities. The buildings were unique, creative, attractive, and functional.
I was very impressed. I bought the book and read it cover to cover. I looked at the pictures over and over again. The book hooked in to my heart for people in poverty. It hooked into my love of building buildings. It hooked into my enjoyment of photography.
A year or two after reading this book I had a conference about 60 miles from where the students had created all these structures—and where the current students were also creating new buildings. So I went a day early, rented a car, and drove down to see what I had so loved in the book. I got an informal tour of the huge warehouse where the current students were drawing buildings and making models. I got a map of where the existing structures could be found—scattered over miles and miles of this impoverished county.
Armed with my map, my camera, and good feelings about the work I drove out to see these wonderful structures.
What I experienced was a major let down. At least 75% of the structures were in horrible repair. They were not being used to speak of and the windows were broken and weeds were growing up through the floor. A beautiful chapel that spread across the pages of my book had been built using car windshields to create a towering cathedral ceiling. In the picture it was both unique and beautiful. On the ground it was a mess. The grounds were overgrown with weeds and uncut grass—outside the building and inside too. Inside the floor was dotted with campfire rings, strewn with cigarette butts, whiskey bottles and beer cans, and covered with the soot of camp fires. What had been a very amazing structure was now in horrible disrepair.
I told you about that experience to say this: Last week Kathi and I and 20 other CBCer’s went to Mexico to build house number 18 for an impoverished family in Acuna, Mexico. We had a great build and gave a very attractive and functional house to a grateful family of five. Then we all drove to see a home that Kathi and I and Nelson Allen had helped to build exactly two years earlier. When we arrived at the house we hardly recognized it. We hardly recognized it not because it was in disrepair but because it had been so significantly enhanced. The owners had built a huge retaining wall to build up the area. They had built a patio. They had planted trees around their home. They had installed a window air conditioner in one window. They had patio furniture out front. It just looked great.
The family was home. They recognized Kathi and Nelson and me. We had a wonderful time of hugging and talking and then praying together before we left. It was a gift from God to see how the family was thriving and how the home we had created was thriving.
Sometimes your investments for others end up in ruin. Sometimes your investments for others end up in decades of fruit. Where your investments end up—ruined or thriving—is generally not in your hands. Your work is investing. The investing is in your hands.
“Why do You keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?”
Lamentations 5:20
Last year I went on a trip—I have forgotten where—and on the way home I came to the gate for my flight home on a Saturday night. I was informed that we were given a much smaller plane than expected and the flight was significantly overbooked. The gate agents needed about 16 people to get off voluntarily.
I went up to the counter and explained that I needed to get home tonight so that I could speak in the morning. The agent looked at my ticket and said, “I will have a seat for you Mr. Gibson but I need to take care of some other things first. I will call you up when I know which seat you will have.” I was great with that and I went back away from the congestion and waited for my name to be called.
I waited quite patiently for a long time. There were calls for people to get off and negotiating about when they could get home if they got off and would a big group get off together and on and on and on. The wait continued for more than an hour. People were getting off and leaving. People were getting tickets and boarding. There were very few people left in the gate area. I got anxious. I got to thinking they had forgotten me.
So I walked back up to the counter and said to the agent, “I just want to make sure that you are still remembering me.” “Yes Mr. Gibson,” he said, “I have your paper right here and we will have a seat for you as soon as we can.” “Thank you,” I said and I walked back to my place.
When I knew I was being remembered I was very content and had no anxiety. He had my paper right next to his keyboard and he remembered my name and I was assured that he remembered me. I stood there another half an hour and was the last one on the plane.
I was able to be very calm and patient just knowing that the gate agent remembered me and assured me that I would have a seat on the plane.
When I believe that God is remembering me and has made promises to me I can also be very calm and patient.
If I am afraid that God has forgotten me then I am anxious and impatient. My circumstances become bigger than life and even bigger than God. My focus is on the trouble and on the fear that God will not be coming to help me.
The truth is that God always remembers us. In the midst of our most difficult and protracted troubles God remembers us. Our paper is right beside His keyboard. He remembers us by name. He has made promises to us. He has the power to fulfill His promises. He has the character to follow through on His promises. So, be calm and be patient. God remembers you.
“Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned me, the sovereign master has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you!”
Isaiah 49:14, 15
“You know you are invested when you pull in and turn off the gas pump light.”
Kathi and I served for 8 years with a mission group in Alaska. Our mission had a “compound” of sorts in a small Alaskan town. In the area of our compound we had a radio station, a Bible College, a hospital, an admin building, a guest house, many missionary homes, and a maintenance compound. In the middle of the maintenance compound we had a gas pump where we could buy gas since we were so far away from commercial places to buy gas.
On a pole above that gas pump was a huge halogen light that had to be turned on and off manually. When you pulled up to get fuel at night you could turn on the light and fuel up and then turn off the light—something that was drilled into all of us as a cost saving measure—and then drive off. Predictably quite often someone forgot to turn off the light.
I would occasionally drive past the pump at night and see the light on and just head on home. One night, after maybe a year of so with the mission, I drove past the pump, saw the light on, turned into the maintenance compound, and turned off the light. That was the night that I realized that I had become “invested” in our mission. The work of the mission and the people of the mission and the finances of the mission and the impact of the mission mattered to me. It mattered to me in the big things so that I did my work as a college instructor diligently and it mattered to me in the little things so that I would pull in and turn off the fuel pump light.
It is invested people who are making most of the impact and having most of the fun.
CBC has a history, a DNA, and a value for being full of invested people. This church was started by people who went the extra eight miles to make it happen. The ongoing decades of people who have been part of CBC are also invested people. There are too many examples to recount but one big example is the Katrina Next Steps Shelter that we ran in our gym for 4 months following Hurricane Katrina. The day we decided to do the shelter we made phone calls and emails and by that evening 180 people were in the Worship Life Center saying, “What do you need me to do?” For one small example we have people who have served in the care and education of little children for nearly 30 years.
CBC has a DNA of being invested people and we so want that DNA to be even stronger and more wide-spread. We have some specific initiatives that we will be taking this spring to bolster that value for substantial personal investment in the work of God through CBC.
It is invested people who are making most of the impact and having most of the fun. If you have not experienced this we are going to call you to get into the game and have some of the fun.
