August 28 Prayer

Recently, some big changes hit my family. My daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition that is more annoying than worrisome, yet getting there was stressful. 2 of 3 of my kids went back to school as a senior and freshman in high school reminding me how little time I have left with my kids still being kids. The biggest change, and perhaps the one dedicated to trying to steal my peace the most, was leaving a ministry position. This position meant a lot to me, and in the end, I had to do what was best for my family and myself. Why would God put me in a position to serve Him in a meaningful way and then change my course?

Life is not always kind, and for me, I have a knack for finding leadership that seems well-versed in scripture and with a heart that seems aimed in the right direction of serving those Christ has called us to serve. Yet, without fail, ego and pride will enter the game and even when God is beating me with red flags, I rarely take the hint the first time. Why are we so easily swayed from the peace so freely given to us in exchange for anxiety, loss and chaos? It all starts with misplaced fear. Fear is a word with many meanings. One that is reverence which gives peace and one that is unpleasant and steals peace.

Acts 9:31 says, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.” (Legacy Standard Bible) Peace was being built up and multiplying in all of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Their fear (reverence) was in the Lord. How often do we let man steal away our fear and change it from something of reverence into something that replaces the peace of God with feelings and thoughts that drag us away from God? For me, it happens more often than I would care to admit. Yet, like the lost sheep, God always sends Christ back for me, the one lingering in the hurts and failures triggered by a fallen world. 

To have the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7), the peace given to us as a gift (John 14:27), and a peace that multiplies (Acts 9:31) we must first remember that our fear belongs not in things of this world, but in God alone. Quitting this job was one of the hardest things I have ever done but God had made a way for me to leave in perfect peace. Yes, there is hurt, and yes, I wish that it could have been different. My job in this life is not to question why God closed a door. It is to have His perfect peace knowing that He will always open a new one, a better one, if I stand aside and let Him lead me.