stay

You know, the vast majority of churches in America don't even get to celebrate 10 years with their pastor. That is so sad to me.

Too often Christians, pastors and members alike, leave their church (and it generally doesn't matter the reason) and steal from themselves the opportunity to grow in their faith and love with God and with one another. Just like any other relationship (e.g. family), there is generally more to gain for all persons involved by exercising the disciplines of humility, endurance and listening than by leaving.

This is something God has been teaching me (and I won't tell you how long he's been trying):

If I'm walking in the Spirit and sense a point of frustration, it's generally God's nudge for internal growth or external ministry. If I'm walking in the flesh and sense of point of frustration, I generally just make myself and everyone else around me miserable.

And as I type this, I'm remembering something I shared in my Father's Day message:

Because God is perfectly right, infinitely loving, absolutely holy, inexhaustibly patient and inexplicably merciful... and because, as our Heavenly Father, he is more interested in our holiness (character) than our happiness (temporary pleasure) -as is any parent - his discipline of us is always the very least it will take to get our attention and communicate our need. The very least.

God knows what we need. He knows when we need it. He also knows what it will take for us to receive it. (ouch)