Confession Time…

Jun 23, 2005

They say that confession is good for the soul. (Have you ever really discovered who “they” are…if so then please inform me.) So here I am…I have something to confess. I admit that by doing this that it may cause a great deal of confusion in some people and may even cause some of you to lose respect for me…but I can’t hold it in…I’ve got to let it go—here’s my confession…

I’m happy! I am living an abundant life! I can’t get over how good God has been to me. I can’t get over how He has changed my life. I can’t get over how He has given me direction. I can’t get over the fact that He allowed me to marry WAY over my head. I can’t get over the fact that I get to pastor New Spring Community Church. I can’t get over the fact that He has surrounded me with so many awesome people to partner with. I can’t get over the fact that I am blessed…seriously folks, I am happy!

I know to some that may not sound like a spiritual thing. It really bothers me that there is a group of people out there who think that unless you are miserable, poor, hungry, and getting beaten up every day then there is no way you can be in God’s will.

But I happen to think a little differently here.

I think a life dedicated to following Christ is exciting. I also think following Christ is dangerous. But I think that if someone is truly following Christ then joy will be evident…it has to be, there is no way around it.

I have been hearing lately people say things like, “I really love what I do, I can’t believe how blessed I am…BUT that makes me wonder…because I love what I do and because I am so blessed—that probably means that I am not in the will of God. I mean, if you are in the will of God you have to suffer a lot, right?”

I don’t buy that!

I know, I know—those that hold to this line of thinking are going to immediately get your Bible’s and begin to e-mail me Bible verses where God told the apostle Paul that he was going to have to suffer. But hold that thought…I want you to remember something—this is what God told Paul! He wasn’t saying, “Every Christian is going to have to go through what you go through.” He was saying, “Hey Paul, I have determined that YOU will suffer for MY name.” He didn’t say everyone—but with Paul he got specific.

But please don’t miss the point…I have read the writings of Paul on numerous occasions and I have came away thinking the same thing every time, “This dude was radically in love with Jesus and was full of JOY!!!” (For those who think this might be false thinking please do an experiment, read the book of Philippians, count the number of times the word “joy” appears in there…and then keep in mind that he wrote that book while in prison!!!) He DID suffer—but he was joyful through the whole process!

There are some that would still want to argue, “But Perry—what you do is easy…you enjoy it too much…in order to be following God you really need to do the things you do not like to do.” If this is your thought pattern I would encourage you to put your crack pipe down! God has wired each of us to de certain things…and I honestly think when we arrive in our sweet spot that we will enjoy what we do.

For example, I have two friends, Todd & Lisa, that live in Romania. The first time I met Todd all he could talk about was Romania. (I had to look it up on a map—I didn’t know where it was.) He and Lisa and their two beautiful girls moved there over a year ago. They left a comfortable life in the United States and embraced a call of God and a culture of people that God had given them a heart for. I receive e-mails from them often…and you know what—they always seem to be FULL OF JOY!!! They are not, “Hey Perry, life here is miserable, we hate the weather, we can’t understand what these people are saying, we have yet to find a restaurant that serves sweet tea…” NO!!! They are full of excitement because they know they are exactly where God wants them to be!

But in the same respect I am not thinking, “Todd & Lisa are in Romania…and I am happy here and that can’t be godly—maybe I should go over there with them.” No—what God has for them and for me is totally different—but it brings joy to all of us.

Keep in mind that God’s plan will ultimately bring joy to your life. Following Christ is not, “Welcome to the Kingdom—you will be miserable until one day you die…then it will all get better.” No way—following Jesus means we can get the most out of life NOW AND IN ETERNITY!

So if you are in a place where you are fulfilling your God given potential, God is using you to change lives…and you are excited about what you do…AND you know that God has put you where you are…here’s my advice—drop the martyr complex and thank God that you get to do what you do. Stop saying, “What I do is too easy—this can’t be of God.” Then if He does decide to move you one day…go for it…because following Jesus always results in incredible joy!