2014 was a GREAT year!! “Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.” That quote is taken from Tim Keller’s book, ‘Walking with God through Pain and Suffering’. There is so much in that statement that is hard to grasp, hard to understand, and often hard to live out. But, it so beautifully describes 2014 for me. Like everyone one of you, I’ve faced hard times in my life – I’m even confident that my hard times would pale in comparison to some of yours. Nonetheless, it’s in those difficult time, those times of suffering (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) that the love and work of Christ has never been more evident. 1992 and 2005 are part of my “story” that many of you know…they were very tough years, but years that God’s sovereignty was never clearer. 2014 has been another of those years – years we shouldn’t think won’t happen to us, but rather we should hope they do, to keep us grounded and focused amidst the many distractions life and culture throws at us (maybe it’s just me?). In the past 12 months, I’ve lost friends to death at way too young of age, work has been hectic and demanding, parenting through the teen years and the pain your kids feel, weight of leadership positions, walking through very tough times with friends, a severe stroke my Mom had in late June with months of recovery and the weight of helping her and my Dad figure out a new way of life in a new home only for my Dad to face some serious health issues recently, and personal health struggles that people my age start to face (these old joints just don’t work like they used to!). All of these things pressed in on me throughout the year. Sometimes I handled it well, sometimes I didn’t. Some of you are probably thinking…”Wes, how can you possibly have started this post with ‘2014 was a GREAT year’?” How? Because God IS sovereign, He is good, and He is holy. He put people in my life to “walk the walk” with me. Words can’t describe how He used my wife, my closest friends, and the community around me to help me re-direct, comfort me, counsel me, and see how He was right there with me. Like Tim Keller says in his book, suffering/strife I faced this year has had a purpose…a purpose of driving my deeper into the love of Christ for more stability and spiritual power. The Trinity is the perfect example of community, but the body of believers is powerful because He made it powerful. He orchestrates that power. I am incredibly grateful for the people with whom God has put me in “community”. 2014 WAS a great year, and God willing, He’ll place me in positions in 2015 to be used as an instrument for His kingdom, to proclaim His greatness, to make His name famous…to suffer well. Songs we sing are special to me, the music brings clarity to words in ways that the spoken or read word can’t. As I think through the strength and power that He provides, the words from Hillsong’s “God is Able” are spot-on…. “God is able, He will never fail He is Almighty God Greater than all we seek, greater than all we ask He has done great things. God is with us, God is on our side He will make a way. Far above all we know, for above all we hope He has done great things. Lifted high, defeated the grave Raised to life our God is able In His Name, we overcome For the Lord our God is able! God is with us, He will go before He will never leave us, He will never leave us. God is for us, He will make a way He will never fail us, He will never fail us. Lifted high, defeated the grave Raised to life, our God is able In His Name, we overcome For the Lord our God is able!”
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:44:54 +0000
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