Several days ago I was given news that left me feeling numb. I was told that the church I had been a full time youth pastor of for six years could no longer afford to pay two full time pastors. I was given two options by the powers that be in the church. I could take a half pay cut and lose all of my benifits, i.e. rent, and health insurance for my wife and I, or take a severence package that would basically be as though I was still working but collecting my same benifits for 30 days. I at once began to seek the face of God as to what we needed to do and in that moment God revealed to me that it was time to go.
My heart was saddened. I had poured almost 6 years of my life into a church and had created something that was showing signs of flourishing. I began to feel a rush of feelings I had never felt before. There was disappointment, anger, failure, and others I cannot even identify. Then, I had to share with the youth the decision I had made. We had teens that night tell us we will get another job so we can pay your rent and also offered up all sorts of solutions to the apparent problem. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.
Now it has been a couple of weeks and I find myself at a new place in my mind and spirit. I find myself excited. Ready to see what God is going to do in our lives. God promotes to bigger and better and we can choose to view things from a victim standpoint or we can look at it from the victors point of view. As a minister, I want to finish strong. How I finish determines how I start the next assignment. Many people have asked me are you angry? I tell them I can choose to be angry or I can choose to be an over comer and be blessed by God. The latter is better. God wants us to walk in victory and Satan wants us to be hung up in ourselves and play the victim. Then, he can get us depressed and stressed to the point of even turning our back on God.
My family and I choose to be the victors. We will not lose hope and be faint of heart. God has never left us or forsook us. He will lead us and we WILL BE BLESSED. David never saw the giant he always say the bigger picture. David Imagined the victory and God mad him bigger than his imagination. God is truly great and greater than anything that we may face.
