It's funny how God always seems to find someone who is wrestling with the same questions to come alongside and walk with you. Throughout my life, no matter what circumstance comes up, someone has come along that is or was in my exact same place. I suppose it's supernatural discipleship.
When we started attending the church we are in now, there was a couple in our new members class, who was from Texas. These are the same people who introduced us to our new English friend. Over several years we have connected with this family in some way or another, and I have always felt a friendship with the husband. Him and I were not only linked through church, but also through our occupations. This brought many conversations about what God wants in our lives. It has been uncanny how similar our stories were and were being written in the same thread. We have fully embraced the proverb of "Iron sharpening Iron" and have dreamed through most every possible adventure.
It was late fall one night after Worship rehearsal that he stopped me. He handed me a piece of paper with scripture references written on it. I thought it was funny to be written on a prescription advertisement for Cialis, but I don't want to focus on that too much, just seems funny to me.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:11-16
These were scriptures he said were given to him during his devotional time. He felt he should give them to me to read.6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. Ephesians 5:6-7
Now at the time I was rather confused, but as I have grown in my understanding of who God is, I have begun to see my purpose.
You see, the reason this whole thing started was because I followed whoever sounded the best. Sure, I measured Bible teaching against scripture, but never secular influences like a boss or friend. I found myself wanting to be the Savior to the world, and trying to achieve it on my own power. It's also been said that I keep my sail high and wide in order to catch whatever wind blows in my path. Deep down, I just wanted to be affirmed. I wanted someone, anyone, to be proud of me.
What I have since discovered is a God who will stop at nothing to passionately pursue me until I realize how deep and how wide and how long His love is for me.
Although, I felt I knew all these things, it wasn't until the following year that I was shown how much He loves me. I became very arrogant and self-righteous. Even to the point that I would question the intelligence of my pastor. Stick with me and you'll see how God humbles the proud.
