I shared this weekend at Friendship Baptist Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. It was a beautiful church because the people there were real. There wasn’t a single look or a common age of people. It was very diverse (for Arkansas) in age, economy, and dress. I felt like I could come in to that church wearing flip flops and shorts and be accepted as a part of the family. If you are ever in Sherwood, Arkansas, drop in and meet Roy Thompson, the Pastor, and the rest of his family there. A fabulous writer and blogger, Alyce Lee Faulkner, her husband, Mackey, and three of their four children, also are ready to welcome you there.
[The first two installments of this series are here (intro) and here (chapter 1).]
One of the things I shared was that I really don’t remember praying about whether I should go to college or not. I think I recall praying about where I would go to college, although at that time it was a pretty foregone conclusion in my mind, but I didn’t ask God whether I should be going at all. As I ponder that fact, I realize that I wasn’t seeking God’s will for entering college when I was 16 and 17; instead, I was simply doing what my peers were doing. I was going with the cultural flow. (Praise God for His grace in spite of my lack of faith.)
How often do we do this? I’m not so sure that I don’t do it all the time. We dress a certain way, not because it is comfortable or because it reflects our tastes, but because it is what culture dictates. We may graduate high school and go to college not because God has spoken to us but because it is what culture dictates. We may get married and buy a big house not because we have sought God’s direction or considered how God might use that big house for his glory but because we want to “keep up” with the proverbial Joneses and do what culture dictates. (Who are those guys, those Joneses, anyway… they sure are elusive.) We stay in our jobs not because we have a clear vision for God’s mission in our lives in and through that job but because we fear not having a job or have never even asked whether we should do something different.
When we find ourselves in these kinds of situations, whom or what are we trusting? Are we trusting God? Proverbs 3:5-6. Are we seeking first God’s kingdom (and letting Him take care of the rest)? Matthew 6:25-34. Are we being diligent to make our calling and election sure? 2 Peter 1:3-11.