THINKING ABOUT COMMITMENT

Tomorrow my husband and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary! I have been thinking back to that week of our lives when we were preparing for that day, July 28th 1972. I can hardly believe it has been that long! We met at Bible College our freshmen year and we have had an amazing journey!

We made a commitment to love, honor and cherish each other until death part us and that is still our plan. We consider the last ten years as bonus years because of a cancer diagnosis 10 yrs ago. Looking back, I see God's guiding hand in our lives. We started out living by faith, literally. We didn't have much of anything but God blessed our trust in Him and we have never gone without.

Our union was blessed with 3 wonderful children and 7 grandchildren all of whom are serving the Lord in their local churches. We have served in different areas of ministry in three different churches. This Sunday we are celebrating our 28th year in our present church. It is my husbands first and only pastorate. To God be the glory! Great things He hath done!

There seems to be such a deficit in the area of commitment now days. Whatever you choose to do with your life, there needs to be a sold out, no turning back attitude, be it marriage or ministry. Life is difficult for everyone but the payoff is worth it. There is something to be said for old-fashioned commitment. It is one of the best gifts you will ever give to your children and grandchildren.

BEYOND FEELINGS

Have you noticed in recent years that people live their lives according to how they "feel?" Sunday morning, before church, I got into a conversation with a woman about the length of my husband's sermons. She was very adamant in saying that he is preaching about ten minutes longer because "he is feeling better." I told her he never preaches according to how he feels or he may not be there at all! She refused to accept that even though I live with the man 24/7 and know for a fact nothing he does has anything to do with his feelings! (It was really a light-hearted conversation and we both were laughing about the fact that we didn't agree at all.)

It is easy to get into the pattern of considering one's feelings when going about our daily life. The world caters to people that live by their feelings. Advertising, entertainment, restaurants, all things that involve pampering ourselves, direct us toward the mindset that we should do whatever we "feel" like doing....or not! Does the word "impulsive" come to mind?

The Bible gives us many examples as to how to live our lives outside of the realm of feelings. Let me give you some to start your mind rolling: Daniel, just a teen when taken into captivity, yet he determined not to live by his feelings but according to his convictions. Esther, a young woman given a request that could cost her not only her life but the lives of countless others. Compare these young ones with our teens today! The difference is the thought of living by feelings wasn't an option. As for Daniel, we also see him as an old man in the lions den that still had not wavered!

I have to admit that I have also struggled with feelings. I used to count that as a strong point of mine but now I know for a fact that it is not. The enemy has been relentless of late, insisting that perhaps the path I chose to follow so many years ago has not counted for much. The ministry has never been easy but recent years have gotten harder as the world has become so much more prominent in the lives of professing Christians. There are times when I ask myself "What difference does it make?" The reason for this onslaught of thoughts has been an unusual amount of counseling recently. People want to do what feels good and not what is right. After awhile it wears you down.

What do we do when we feel overwhelmed by the urge to live by our "feelings?" We do exactly what Daniel did and that is to purpose in our hearts that we will not give in to ourselves! We go back to the Bible and we encourage ourselves in the Lord. We remember what He has done for us and where we have come from. We reflect on His goodness and review past victories and think about the joy that awaits us when we meet Him on that day and anxiously await to hear Him say "WELL DONE!" That was my goal so many years ago and it is my goal today.

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." (Isaiah 40:29).

EVERLASTING STRENGTH

There are times in the ministry when things become "heavy." You pastors wives know exactly what I am talking about. Many people, many needs. Most of the time they come to the pastor for "counsel" but their minds are made up already about how they will deal with their difficulty. It really makes you wonder if you have wasted your time. What people really want is a person that will agree with them rather than give them godly counsel.

There are also those well-meaning people that think they need to "help" the pastor because he isn't fixing things the way they think they could be fixed. That is also frustrating because they have no idea how many hours that pastor has spent counselling and trying to give encouragement to others. These people can also become part of the problem because they are going here and there trying to do their "fixing" and it changes nothing except to give the person with the problem someone else to tell their story to.

God is the only one that can mend the hearts and lives of people. A pastor that walks with God and loves his people is an added blessing but he can only do so much. The pastor has to go to the Lord for his strength and encouragement in dealing with the heavy hearts of his people. Early this morning God encouraged me with this text from Isaiah 26: 3-4: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Ahhhhhhhhhhh (That was my sigh of relief.)