In Step with God…

Like most men and women, it is not uncommon for me to get caught up in the busyness of life. For years, as I was building our business, I worked incredible hours in the name of success. My generation just wasn’t really into the “work/life balance” issues that so many members of the next generations seem to embrace and I am the first to admit that I was a workaholic. In fact, one of the reasons that I went to seminary was the realization that my way wasn’t working any longer and I needed to understand God’s way of putting a better plan in place for the rest of my life.

My years in seminary didn’t disappoint me. Especially during my first three years of graduate school, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredibly God-centered people who helped create a very special culture of service to God and intentional learning. Strong friendships were developed that last to this day and I got used to the “cocoon” that defined my seminary years. The one thing that I was ill prepared for was the return to the corporate world after a decade of study, prayer and almost singularly focused devotion to deepening my relationship with God.

Make no mistake, it wasn’t easy to re-enter the workplace. It has been more difficult to stay in step with God than it was in the sheltered environment of school and it can be rather easy to put God on the back burner in favor of more pressing issues that seem to have a sense of immediacy. And I found that the faster I moved, the more difficult it was to stay in sync with the Lord of the universe. There were even times that I convinced myself that I would just catch up on my relationship with God when things slowed down. I’m sure that you can figure out how that went – not so well…

As I have been starting to slow down my corporate work, I have noticed the return of balance in my Christian life. I still teach Bible study, but in addition to that, I find myself consulting God more often and waiting on Him to help me determine the correct next steps. I am excited about the future. This past week I attended the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit (GLS) that is the primary leadership event I attend each year. This time, I had a different perspective as I focused exclusively on God’s will for my life. I used the two days of lectures and speakers to create a spirit of active listening – trying to discern God’s will for the next chapter of my life.

Although the GLS is over, my commitment to listen is continuing. I am meeting with pastors and other God centered friends to process what I think God is calling me to do. I don’t remember a time since I was in seminary when I have been so peaceful. I’m loving it! Our verse for this evening highlights the words of James, who tells us, in James 1:22-25, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”

My encouragement this evening is that God wants us to slow down and spend time with Him. After all, His plan for each of us is much better than we could ever possibly imagine or create for ourselves. My prayer is that you will listen for the calling that God has chosen for you and that you will be obedient to pursue it with diligence and singular focus. After all, what could be better than serving the community at exactly the time and place for which you have been created? Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…