On the eve of starting my new job tomorrow as equipping pastor at Flint Hills Christian Church, I feel humbly excited at this personally historic moment. Granted, in the eternal scheme of things, moving my family some 1500 miles away to Kansas to serve the Lord at a very good church is pretty inconsequential. But personally, it is a significant journey and testimony to the faithfulness and grace of God to use a worthless vessel such as me for any good purpose. God has also used our family and so many good friends back in California and Maryland who taught, encouraged, guided, prayed for, and served me in so many way to whom I am eternally grateful.
So before I start tomorrow, I want to continue my original post on this blog - why Kansas? To answer that, I need to ask a question - What is the greatest commandment? Matthew 22:37-38 says, "And [Jesus] said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the great and foremost commandment." Moving to Kansas for me, is how I can love God more.
How is that? When I stay in a place that is comfortable and familiar with good friends, with a good church, with family nearby, and lots of things to do and lots of things to have, it's harder for me to love God more and not love all of those people and things. But leaving all of that (though it is not truly a sacrifice compared to what so many others have sacrificed) has already helped me to love God more.
And on top of that if I had never moved to Kansas, I would not have been overwhelmingly blessed with love, help, gifts, meals, etc. from God through our new church family. For now, I am in a time of plenty, and I love God even more for being so kind. But whatever the future holds, our perfectly wise, absolutely sovereign, and mercifully good God will continue to do the best thing for me. How can I not love Him more? Blessed be the name of the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment