Back in October the church purchased me a PSIII for pastor’s appreciation month. I remember being PUMPED, bringing it home & thinking, “I can’t wait to play that thing—it’s going to be awesome!”
Well…here it is—December 11th—and I haven’t even taken it out of the box or attempted to hook it up. Instead I have chosen to continue to play my PSII instead of working through a few minor inconveniences in order to have something WAY BETTER.
I’ve wanted to—BUT—the excuses FLY pretty easily…I’ve convinced myself that, in attempting to leave what is comfortable and step into the unfamiliar that I will hook something up wrong, thus causing a reaction that will result in the burning down of my home! (Why do we always assume the worse?)
SO…a PSIII has sat in my office at home—unopened, unused while I continue to settle for the lesser pleasures of a gaming system that was once cutting edge but is on it’s way to being obsolete.
HOLD ON…before you send me an e-mail offering to hook my system up for me…ask yourself the question, “Have I done the same thing in my walk with God?”
Our temptation as human beings is to desire what makes us comfortable…to stay with the familiar, to boldly go where we’ve always gone. BUT…if we are going to be sincere followers of Christ then we will discover that He often asks us to leave the familiar and travel to places where we’ve never been.
I was reminded of this when I read the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-40. God asked Phillip to go where he had never gone before—to do something new—to take a different approach to ministry. AND…instead of complaining about the call Phillip went.
Phillip could have ignored the call of God—but in doing so would have NEVER experienced what he did in this story.
AND then look again at Acts 8:39-40…when God was finished with Phillip at that place He immediately did something new to transport him somewhere else. Amazing!
It’s a struggle—I say I want to follow Christ with my whole heart…but doing so will always call me to leave what I consider comfortable…safe…predictable…and move towards places I’ve never been before. I am learning more and more that there is unlimited potential in obedience.
I’ve got plans to hook up my PSIII within the next week…and I am sure I will blog about the experience. However, I also have plans to continually strive to hear the voice of Jesus and leave what is familiar in order to experience Him and His work in new and fresh ways…I do not want to be one of those pastors who leaves potential unopened for fear of where it might take him or others may say.
I have said this before…but my sense of anticipation in regards to NewSpring Church is through the roof! God is up to something huge—and I KNOW that if we will continue to follow Him to uncomfortable places that He will continue to blow our minds with Ephesians 3:20 type ministry. I have no desire to play it safe…life is too short and hell is too hot. 2008 is coming like a freight train…and I believe it will be our best year ever.