Suffering

God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. - Hebrews 2:10 (NIV)


But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. - James 1:22 (ASV)


In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV)


Jesus grew & was perfected not by doing the easy things (think about what His "suffering" was- doing God's will not His own). He wasn't perfected doing the stuff He wanted to do. Growing old happens naturally & without any effort. Growing UP requires SACRIFICE & OBEDIENCE.


It means:

• Staying with what God said do when things get hard.
• Operating in the fruit of the Spirit when you'd rather give someone a piece of your mind.
• Walking in love & forgiving when people do you wrong. 
• Refusing to hold a grudge. 
• Siding with authority even if you disagree or don't understand (it's not really submission if you agree).
• Spending time with God even when you'd rather be doing something else.
• Tithing when you really don't have the money.
• Doing the Word when your flesh screams to the contrary.
• Whatever that thing is God is dealing with you about & you've been disobedient...

If you aren't willing to do the HARD things you will stay a BABY forever, spiritually speaking. People would rather shout & scream about prayer & revival, and those things are important, but prayer does you NO good if you don't walk out of your prayer closet & get to DOING the Word. Prayer doesn't grow you up. Crucifying your flesh & following Jesus' Word does. 

Let's start proving ourselves & being obedient to His Word!! It won't always be easy, but it's the price you pay for growth.

Be Real

A few nights ago, I wanted to Twitter a thought but thought better of it. Not because it's not true, but because it required more depth than 140 charachters could allow. So, perhaps I can communicate it here better.

Over the years in the church, putting on masks, being fake, & pretending everything's OK when it isn't has taken its toll in the church. There's a move toward authenticity that is needed but perhaps gets a little carried away. In our quest to be "real" we've forgotten that, as Christ followers, we are not our own.

Being "real" wasn't in the beatitudes & "real" isn't a fruit of the Spirit. In fact, teaching in Scripture about our attitude, emotions, and words usually run pretty opposite to what we call "real."

I think it's a dangerous path when we allow sin in our lives & justify it as just being real. It's foolishness to accept as normal things Scripture forbidd. It's absurd to be rebellious, ungrateful, angry, & strife-filled & call it "real".

Sometimes that may be our reality. It's part of having flesh. However, it's time to call a spade a spade. This stuff is sin. If you have a rotten, negative attitude, it's sin. You have chosen to be ungrateful & scoff at the goodness & blessings of God in your life. We all deal with it, it's part of the human condition, but it's not something we just accept.

That's why Scripture has a lot more references to crucifying the flesh, picking up your cross, and presenting your body as a living sacrifice than about being yourself. There's still a lot to be said for simple obedience.

When you find things becoming "real" in your life that don't match the true reality of God's Word, it's not His word that needs to change.

Get in His word & let it transform your mind so you can have a new real. Ask God for His perspective on your situation. Get some friends who will let you have a pity party by yourself instead of feeding your attitude (or, even better, will bring correction when needed). Choose to focus on the goodness of God rather than your circumstance. Decide life's not about you & your perfect happiness & get out and help someone else. Find a purpose bigger than your problem. Keep your eyes on Jesus & the hurting world and off your problems.

Let's work on having a new real! You'll be happier if you do.

Hearing from God pt2

When I deal with this issue of hearing from God, the question I get all the time is, "How do I know if I'm hearing from God & not making this stuff up? How do I know it's God & not me?" That's a great question. I answer that question the same way every time, and I want to share it with you.


Think about the first time you went bowling. You go up to the line, roll the ball down the lane, and if you're like most of us, went straight in the gutter & don't hit a single pin. With a little bit of practice, you don't roll of in the gutter as often. Sometimes to help the inexperienced bowler, the bowling alley will pull up these little guard rails. If you go to throw the ball down the lane and it goes toward the gutter, the ball will bounce off the rail and continue on the right path. You may not get a strike every time, but you will at least hit something.


Just like those rails protect your ball from getting in the gutter, there are some "guard rails" in your Christian experience that will prevent you from getting off in a ditch. If you take what you believe God is speaking to your life & make sure it stays within the boundaries of these rails, you avoid falling off into the ditch. Otherwise, you most certainly will wind up in the gutter & not hit a single pin.


So, what are the guard rails to protect you from going off in the gutter? The first rail is Scripture. 


2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". Scripture, not any form of what we believe we're "hearing from God" is our PRIMARY means of instruction in righteousness. Any "word" you have that contradicts the Word is deception & will put your life in a ditch.


Romans 15:4 tells us, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Paul admonishes us that Scripture was for our learning. Learning Scripture acquaints you with the very nature of God and allows you to discern truth from error. 


Filtering what you "heard from God" and strictly filtering it through His written word is the most sure way to avoid getting your life in a ditch. Is that the only way to know you've heard from God? No, there is another critical test we'll talk about in the next post.

God's Talking

From the dawn of mankind, God has spoken to man. In the Garden of Eden, Scripture recounts God coming down & walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He communed with them as friends. Later, God came down to talk to Abraham face to face. He told Abraham his plans for Sodom & Gomorrah and how He was going to destroy the city, but Abraham out of his relationship with God, convinced God to stay His hand & to spare the city for as few as ten righteous men. Fast forward to the New Testament, and you find God in the flesh (Jesus) dwelling among men. He walked & talked with them. When He went away, He promised them a comforter & teacher, assuring them it would be better for them if He went away. The Apostles & the early church evidenced the fact that God speaks to men & women (if we believe the Bible is God breathed, then we believe God spoke to man).

The pattern that is shown all throughout the entire Word of God is that God speaks personally & directly to us. There is no place I can find (other than a sadly misinterpreted Scripture in 1 Corinthians) that gives any indication that God has suddenly quit speaking. Despite that, it seems most people have no idea what it means to hear from God or what that might possibly look like.

I just want to stretch your thinking a bit here. God speaks. That has been true from the beginning of humanity until today. The problem is not His ability to speak, it’s our ability to hear. We'll explore a bit more over the coming days how you can hear from God and, just as importantly, how you can discern whether it's the voice of God or not.

Don't Drink the Kool-Aide

My dad invited me to come with him to this make a living at home on the internet workshop. Really, what they called a "seminar" was nothing more than a sales pitch. Throw out a few technical terms, give them a free lunch and a voucher for a free MP3 player and it's game on. For about an hour, the salesman (excuse me, "instructor") walked around the room selling you the moon. I mean, he was brilliant. His "honesty" in telling you about people who washed out makes him seem trustworthy, and his charm & charisma make you like him & keep people paying attention.

A quick check with the Better Business Bureau revealed everything you need to know about his "offer": eight hundred complaints & an "F" rating with the BBB (not to mention legal action by several states). What amazed me was watching him take a room with probably a hundred people & convince them they were special because they "qualified" to attend the next special training & that they were privileged to only give them $99 to get in. After all, they'd get a free computer as part of the deal. Naturally, when he called their name as being qualified for a spot, they flocked back with credit card in hand like sheep to the slaughter. They ran back to buy that ocean-front property in Arizona.

Why did people respond like they did? They wanted an easy way to improve their life. He offered what they wanted, and they bought & drank his kool-aide. I mean, if "Donna"  could go from being a struggling single mom with no computer skills to quitting her four jobs & make a full time living by creating a website selling Rand-McNally maps, they could too!

He sold people a quick fix to problems they've spent their lives creating. They don't know how it's going to work or even what they're going to try to sell, but they know this: my life can change & I can make a living working ten hours a week. A little effort for two months & then it's living on easy street!

Don't drink the kool-aide. Most problems in life have no quick fix. Whatever your current reality, it took time & small decisions to get you there, and it will require time & discipline to change. Short of a miracle, it won't happen overnight, but if you will focus in on daily decisions and commit over the long haul to be different, your life can change. It's not magic or a miracle cure- it's small daily decisions & time that can change your life for the better. Anything else is a sure-fire way to keep circling around the same mountain the rest of your life.

The Impact of #KidMin

I wrote a letter to our nursery team today just to encourage them in the impact they're making. The fact is, no matter what you do for the Kingdom (especially working with kids), this is still true. Thought it might encourage you as well:

Why do we do what we do? I mean, after all, the nursery can't possibly be that important, can it?

Certainly we care for the babies. They're too little to respond to an altar call or give their heart to Jesus. They may not be able to quote Scripture or tell you the Easter story. So, why do we do it? What's the point? Aren't we really just glorified babysitters?

In short, NO. First of all, you are the first representation of Jesus to many of these babies. Second, you are frequently the deciding factor in whether or not a parent or family will return to the church (statistically, most families make their decision about a church long before they hear the sermon- it's the nursery, parking lot, & restrooms that make the decision). 

Maybe what we do in the nursery has nothing to do with the babies at all. Sure they're cute, sure it's fun to get to go in and play for awhile, but maybe the point is something bigger. Maybe it's about the single mom of five who is at her wits end who finally makes it to church, knowing there is something better and looking for hope. Because of our children's ministries teams, she is able to respond without distraction to God tugging on her heart. Maybe it's about the teenage parents who just need to encounter God and learn how to be the parents they never had. Maybe it's about the young family who are running from God who just need to know that someone loves them & their family.

What I want you to see is that, although what you do may not be glamorous or exciting, you play a huge part in a much bigger picture. You are a part of every parent who meets God in our adult services. You are a part in raising up children in the way they should go, teaching them how to live & modeling Godliness for them. You make a difference you probably will not see until eternity. 

Let this encourage you as you serve. Although the job may seem mundane, it is what God uses to touch lives. Steven in the book of Acts had the mundane job of waiting tables, but God used him in that seemingly insignificant job to live Christ in front of Saul (later Paul- you know, the great apostle :) Jesus told Peter to go fishing, and he brought in a catch of money to pay the taxes. A little boy just had a few loves & fish, and Jesus made it into a meal for 5000. I just want you to understand that Jesus specializes in taking the mundane & making it have a miraculous impact.

THANK YOU for your service. Although you may never know the impact you make, the fruit of your labor lasts for eternity. 

Appreciate all you do!!
Jeremy

Miracle of Provision

Frequently God's provision will be
preceded by an instruction. When Jesus was getting ready to make five loaves & two fish a catered affair for thousands, He started with an instruction.

He told His disciples to have the crowds sit down. What I noticed in reading John's account was that Jesus never told them what was coming next. He didn't say, "Get them seated, then I'm going to pray, and then God is going to multiply the food & we'll even have leftovers."

Jesus didn't give them the whole plan. He just gave them an instruction. Their provision was ultimately preceded by their obedience. It makes me wonder what if they hadn't done what Jesus asked? Would they have sacrificed their provision by disobedience?

What miracle or provision is God trying to release in our lives that we haven't stepped into because we haven't followed an instruction?

Maybe financial provision is waiting when you follow His instruction in faith to start tithing or to plant that seed you really can't afford but know He's told you to give.

Maybe your healing is waiting for you to make that adjustment in your diet He's been dealing with you about.

Maybe the change you've been praying for in your family is waiting on you to follow His instruction to be a servant in your home.

This isn't some magic formula, but if you'll honor God by your obedience, you position your life where He can meet you.

One of my favorite questions my pastor asks will serve as a great springboard for application: What is the last thing God told you to do? Are you still doing it?

Believers like the wind?

It's amazing to me how often we read Scripture & we just read straight through, never really engaging the content. I was reading a passage the other night, and it hit me as I read it that, although I've read this particular passage numerous times, I had absolutely no clue what Jesus was actually saying.


Here's the passage (John 3:7-9):


⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 
⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 


As I was reading, those verses stopped me cold. I realized that I had no clue what Jesus was actually talking about there. It didn't make sense - I mean, I know where I come from. I stayed on those verses til I felt like I had some clarity on what Jesus was saying here.


Jesus said that wind is known not by sight, but by it's effect. How many of us as believers would that characterize? I would dare say not many. By this comparison to wind, Jesus was teaching us that our effect in this world should be so strong that it is felt, but so discreet that no one can see where it came from and where it went.


When we give,  we give radically but quietly. When we minister, we keep the focus so on Him that they forget about us. When we serve, we serve with no focus on getting credit or accolades. If we can get past our own pride & need for recognition enough that Jesus can be seen and not us, the world could be changed forever.


What would the world look like if we focused less on getting the credit, less on being seen or being known, and more on making people feel the effect of our existence? What if people ceased to know us because of what we say and began to know of Him because of the effect our existence has on their world? What if people met Jesus not through our words of introduction, but because of the effect His presence in us has on them? 


Will we ever get it fully right? Of course not. At least the world will be a better place in the trying.

Absolutes

I am a black & white, right & wrong kind of person by nature. I am immensely practical & don't have a lot of time for abstract ideas I can't bring down to real life application. It would make life so much more easy for me if living for God worked that way too, but it doesn't.

I absolutely believe in absolutes. If you start walking toward a brick wall, you can believe it's not there or close your eyes and pretend like it's not, but eventually you will crash into it head on if you don't change your course. The wall is absolute, and nothing you believe or think changes the existence of that wall.

As much as I believe in absolutes, I also believe that by & large we have absolutely no idea what they are. God is infinite & we are finite. God is all knowing & we only know what happens in our limited world. God spoke the universe into existence & we simply exist.

The day you come to a place where you believe you think you know what is right is the day you have stepped into unparalleled arrogance. There is no room in our faith journey for a place of arrival. We will spend the rest of our lives trying to get it right, only to step into eternity and learn how bad we missed it. There is zero possibility that our finite minds can comprehend the infinite nature of God.

The absolutes for me are simple. Jesus died for our sins, He died to restore relationship between us and the Father. That's absolute. You accept that sacrifice & your union with the Father is restored.

I don't have many absolutes beyond that. I have convictions, I have theology, but all of that is open & subject to change. In fact, I wonder how much truth we have rejected in the guise of being "grounded" and having "solid theology".

We see it in different denominations that build entire doctrines around certain Scriptures, while acting as if others have been ripped right out of their Bibles. I just wonder how much we've done that too, because we read the Bible through the lens of what we think we know. How much revelation & truth have we missed and rejected because we believe we know the truth?

I'm not saying we should be a flake & go chasing every wind of new doctrine like it is straight from heaven, because that's a sure fire way to end up in a ditch of error. I'm not saying you reject the whole counsel of Scripture because you find one out of context passage that you can build a theology around to support what you want the Bible to say.

I'm just saying that, as you study Scripture and as you read new things, to stay open to the possibility that what you thought you knew might not be the truth at all. Approach Scripture with an open mind & an open heart, and let the Holy Spirit  be your teacher.

Hebrews 13 pt 3

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
   “Never will I leave you;
   never will I forsake you.”^[a]
 6 So we say with confidence,
   “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
   What can mere mortals do to me?"




We all like the "b" part of verse five. We love to talk about how God will never leave us nor forsake us. We don't like to talk about the condition that came before it. We love the promise, but we ignore the condition. 

It says this: be content with what you have. Although that has a monetary connotation, it means a lot more than just money. Be content with the wife you have so God can be with you in your marriage. Be content with the church you have so God can be with you to grow you there. Be content if you're single so God can be with you to bring the right person. Be content with the job you have so God can make it the job you want (or bring you a better one). Be content with your current financial status, so God can prosper you without you losing your family or integrity in the process. 

The Lord is your helper. He can help repair what's broken. He can bring you into the places you want to be. However, you're never going to see a breakthrough by being covetous or discontent with the things God has placed in your life. 

I'm not saying that you quit making effort to improve and just sit on your hands and wait on God. What I am saying is to keep a heart of gratitude and contentment, realizing that if you had nothing but Jesus you'd have enough. When you keep the right perspective in the center of the conversation, you allow God to move in your situation.

What are some areas in your life you've allowed yourself to be discontent? What adjustments can you make to allow God to work in your life?

Hebrews 13 pt2

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴ For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.


I think too often in the church world we like to think that we're going to find God in our own little circles. We think that God needs to jump into where we're at. We don't want to move, we don't want to be inconvenienced. Paul said here to go to Jesus outside the camp.


We aren't going to find God's power in the middle of our own convenience and comfort. You have to get outside of the camp. 


What does that look like? 


Maybe for you that means getting out of the circle of your Christian friends and going out to people who don't know God. Maybe that means spending less time at "revival" meetings and more time ministering to the lost and hurting, providing food for the hungry, and carrying for orphans and widows. Maybe for you that might look like getting off your financial plan & getting on God's plan and using your resources to further the Gospel. Maybe that means reaching out to that co-worker that you hate even being in the same room with them. 


What it looks like is different for each of us, but here's where the rubber meets the road: we have to get out of the camp to meet the place where God's power lies. 


What can you do to get out of the camp & make a difference in someone's life?

Hebrews 13 pt1

For those of you who were at Harvest Church last Sunday, you know that our homework was to read Hebrews 13 seven times this week. I hope you guys are doing that this week (if you haven't started yet- you still have today). If you missed the service, you can watch the video at harvestmobile.com. I want to spend a couple of days on this blog on the things that popped out at me during my reading:


⁷ Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.


This passage talks about how we relate to authority within the local church. Paul didn't just mention it once, he came back & mentioned it again a few verses later. Apparently it was something he wanted to make sure was clearly & compellingly communicated. 


We are commanded (it wasn't a suggestion) to remember our leaders & imitate their faith. Now that doesn't mean that we do everything they do because they do it, because like us, our leaders are human and flawed. Paul said to consider the outcome of their way of life. Basically, look at your leaders, see what they're doing right, see what's producing fruit in their lives, and imitate their faith. God didn't give us leaders for us to tell them how to live. We were given leaders so that we could learn and imitate their faith.


That part's relatively easy for us. Most of us can imitate what's going well for someone. So, Paul came back a few verses later and added a passage that's a lot more convicting. He said to have confidence in your leaders (you can't have confidence and criticize at the same time), he said to submit to their authority (it isn't submission until you disagree), and to make their work be a joy. 


The Bible is clear that leaders in the church will answer for their stewardship or lack thereof. That's between them & God. However, our role in relation to our leaders is just as clear. We are commanded to be easy to pastor, to imitate their faith, and to make their work a joy.


Where can you make adjustments to make your leader's ministry more of a joy? What can you do to lighten their load?

Inconvenient Christ

Jesus had a very different idea of what following Him looks like than the American church does. Jesus never asked for (or even accepted) small commitments. When asked if a follower could attend to his father's funeral, Jesus said, "let the dead bury the dead." When Jesus encountered the rich young ruler, He told him to sell everything he had to follow Christ. We get this twisted idea that walking with Christ is something that is supposed to be easy and convenient, but Jesus didn't think so.

If you say you are walking with Christ and there are no areas in your life that Jesus doesn't cause you to be uncomfortable, then you need to re-evaluate your current level of commitment and obedience to Christ. I'm not talking about absurd legalism, but I am saying that Christ compels you to lay down your life every single day to follow Him. If there aren't things you are laying down, you're not fully-devoted in your faith.

When is the last time you changed your schedule to be alone with God? When's the last time you spent serious time in prayer and fasting? How much time do you dedicate to ministry and mission? How does your walk with God affect your money? How much sacrifice are you willing to give?

None of us are perfect, but if we ever start putting our comfort and convenience over the will of God we have become idolaters to our own ideas. 

The M Word

A lot of people in the church seem to think money is a dirty word. They are so scared that the pastor is trying to get in their wallet that they resent the sheer mention of the word. There ia preaching adage that if you want a quiet church, talk about people's money or their kids. While I'll be the first to admit that some ministries take this overboard, I would like to make a few observations before you criticize the church for talking about it too much:

• If obtaining money is so important you spend 40+ hours each week working for it, it should be important enough to be taught wisdom in how to use it.
• You don’t own your money anyway. It’s all God’s, you steward it. As such, it doesn’t matter what anyone says, you are only responsible for obeying God with your money.
• Usually the people who object the loudest about the church talking about money too much are the ones who won’t even trust God enough to tithe. I'm going to be incredibly frank here (warning): if you will rob from God (that's what scripture calls it) then frankly I don't have the slighest respect for your opion about how the church should be run or what the pastor should do. Obey scripture then we can talk.People who trust God with their money and tithe don't usually think the church talks about money too much, because they're being blessed as an outflow of their obedience.
• Ministry can’t happen without funding. Your church doesn't just happen. There are bills that have to be payed, and God designed it in such a way that the people and the church are both blessed when you obey God.
• When you look at the growing personal and government debt, it stands to reason people need to be taught about things like budgeting. We can’t expect the government to do it. God’s word is full of instruction about money, and if the church is teaching God’s word the church will be teaching about money. The Bible is not a Golden Corral buffet, you can’t just pick what you’d like.
• Scripture teaches that the laborer is worth his hire. Basically, the pastor deserves to be paid well. He/She is bringing you spiritual truth every week and you owe it to them in turn to take care of them. When people aren't tithing, the minister suffers and that is not Biblical.

So, next time you go to criticize, just ask yourself this simple question...is this genuine excess or is this simply me being convicted because I'm in sin?

Small Stuff

I got to thinking recently about the major ministers who have been caught up in moral failures. Some of these men have spent decades faithfully bringing God’s word, dedicating their lives to the advancement of the Gospel. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, they are exposed in gross sin, and they lose all credibility and their entire life work. Everything is gone in moments.

It makes you wonder what started it. How did you go from greatness to adultery?

There’s a saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I know there is some truth in that, but I would hazard to guess that a lot of moral failures started with that attitude. When it comes to integrity and character, we are foolish to take that attitude. Major failure begins by numbing your conscience to small choices.

What started as lust progressed to pornography and finally ended in adultery. What started as a little white lie progressed into a house of lies that fell out from under you. What started as a seemingly insignificant compromise progressed into the destruction of your legacy.

Although we will all make mistakes, we must guard against the small stuff, because if left unchecked, it will only grow. Don’t lose your destiny and your legacy because you wouldn’t stand firm on the small tests of character.

What small things are you making compromises in that you need to stop today before they become something bigger?

Small Beginnings

After that, the Word of God came to me: "Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They'll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!" Going back to the vision, the Messenger-Angel said, "The seven lamps are the eyes of God probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights.  - Zechariah 4:8-10 (The Message)

Everything we experience in life has a season. Some seasons in life will appear fruitful and be light and easy. Some seasons may be a little harder and seem like God has forgotten your dreams. No matter in which place you find yourself, I think the reminder in this passage is comforting. We should never despise a day of small beginnings.

The old saying is true. Rome wasn't built in a day. That is true in our lives as well. We cannot expect that the plan of God will unfold in your life in your timing, and you cannot expect that these things will start of gloriously. It is the times of a small beginning and the times you want to quit because it isn't happening on your time frame that God uses to build a foundation.

When you watch a construction project, sometimes it seems like it happens overnight. It seems like nothing has been happening, but all of a sudden this building comes out of nowhere. Until the foundation is stable, the work can't be done. If you shortcut the foundation, you have doomed yourself to collapse at the first sign of adversity.

Never discount a season in your life because of what your natural eyes see. You never know what eternal fruit is coming from this moment, or what foundation is being built in you to prepare yourself for the future God has in mind.
It is a foolish thing to despise the current season for something you haven't seen yet. Enjoy where you're at, be the best you can with where you're at, dream, and plan for the future. Just don't despise or resent the season you're in, because the fact is that it is a preparation for where you are going.

Storyline

I love writing. I love the process. I love the journey you are taken on in a good story. There are few things so satisfying as a reader than to be engrossed in a story, only to encounter a moment halfway through where the plot takes a totally unexpected turn and shapes the entire ending in a way no one would have seen coming.

Life basically works out the same way. We start life with a clean slate, and every experience is advancing the storyline. Every setback you encounter is simply an unforeseen plot turn. Until the pages come to an end, the storyline isn't set. You never know when the next page will uncover a grand twist that throws all of your expectations out the window and takes the story in a direction you could have never seen coming.

When life hands you a grand setback, when things seem to go horribly awry, when you are tempted to feel like life is over, turn the page. Keep reading. Until the grand storyline of your life has come to an end, you never know what the next page could reveal that could totally alter the storyline of your life.

If you don't keep reading, you'll never know where the storyline can go. If you give up on the story halfway through, you will never see the happy ending. It's all up to you.

Life happens, things will go completely opposite how you envisioned. You have to make a decision how to respond. Whether you react like it's the end of the book, or a revision to the writing, will determine how the next chapter unfolds. The moment you choose to keep moving forward, to keep turning the page, is the moment you decide to remain stuck in that chapter. You remain in that same place until you decide to turn the page.

No one else controls the outcome of your life. No one else can turn the page for you. You have to embrace the future, including the uncertainty it brings, and choose to advance. Or, you can stay stuck in the conflict or adversity of the past.

The ending of your story is up to you.

P.S. Don Miller writes a great book about living a good story- A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Highly recommend you read it.