The Change-Up

One thing I have been learning this year is how much God likes to change things up. Have you noticed that? He loves to reverse things, turn things upside down, and pull things inside out. He likes creating barren-mothers (Sarah who had Isaac, the wife of Manoah the mother of Samson, and Hannah the mother of Samuel). Just to spice things up He even made a virgin-mother (Mary). He likes making shepherds out of princes (Moses) and kings out of shepherds (David). He feeds thousands of hungry people with a kid’s bagged lunch (John 6:1-15).

Paul—another example of a major change up…the religious zealot and killer of Christians who became the greatest Christian missionary of his day—said in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV),

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

God loves doing the unexpected with the undeserving. He loves to bring healing through broken means. He brings joy through suffering. He wins with losers and makes the horrific holy. Living for God through Christ can be described as many things, but “keeping to the status quo” is not one of them!

I get the feeling God does not want me to ever get too comfortable. I don’t mean that in a bad way. But I have been learning in a big way this year that God is no respecter of my comfort zone. For instance, just as things were starting to settle down after a crazy year of working though the family struggles of adjusting to being “Mr. Mom” with my wife going back to work fulltime, a daughter who was hospitalized for depression multiple times, getting 2 of our daughters set up with IEP’s (individual education plans) at school, and helping another close friend (who is like a daughter to me) who attempted suicide, things have totally turned upside down again and it seems God may be calling me to a new ministry.

While God is big on giving comfort, He is not big on making you comfortable. At least that seems to be what I have been learning of late. God uses these change-ups, reversals, and difficulties to bring the blessings of His love and grace to you in ways that you would never expect. My trust in and love for God grew by leaps and bounds in 2014. So as 2015 approaches with all the tell-tale signs of change in the air promising new challenges, headaches, and heartaches, I find myself strangely excited to see how God is going to show Himself as even more amazing to me and my family this year.

Happy new year to you. And remember:

1. You are not enough, and were never meant to be enough.
2. Jesus is enough. And in Him you will always have enough.