Not in Vainers 4
Not in Vainers
Back in 2012 when I began writing this little blog I entitled it, “Not in Vain”. It was taken from my dad’s life verse, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain.” I Cor 15:58. I Corinthians 15 is the great chapter about the resurrection. Paul ends the chapter with this exhortation encouraging us that we should live our lives in this manner due to the fact that this life is not all that there is. We will be resurrected and we will live eternally and so how we live now, matters eternally. As I end my time writing this blog I wanted to recognize those who have lived their life in light of eternity and have lived as “not in vainers”.
Nancy and I, from time to time, will take the time to remind each other of the truth that our church family, our friends, worked hard, sacrificed and gave to the Lord. Their giving was then mainly used to make sure that JBC was able to keep functioning. One of the main expenses, at any church, is the salaries of those it employs. That meant that our church family and our friends paid our salary. Their hard work and sacrifice allowed my family to live. Their generosity allowed our family to live comfortably. That is a very humbling thought. Everything that I have been able to provide for my family is because of the grace and mercy of God. Almost everything that I have been able to provide for my family is because of the generous people of JBC. Yes, we worked to earn our keep but the beauty of how God has provided through the free will giving of his people is something that has, and continues to humble me.
To be totally honest, it could also be scary. To be so dependent on the giving hearts of people can be a scary proposition. I have heard plenty of stories of big donors who hold their giving over a pastor’s head so that he has to worry about how his children were going to be fed. Pastor’s preach a message that steps on someone’s toes and those people take their money and their toes and go someplace else. People get riled up because the church votes against an idea they have and so they withhold their offerings. It can be a scary thought to be so dependent on the generosity and obedience of people. It is why a pastor must be humbled by the giving of people but keep his eyes fixed on the true provider. I am so tremendously moved by the blessing God has given Nancy and I to serve in a church where we never had to deal with those kinds of horror stories…at least none that we knew about! No one ever put pressure on me to back off a sermon or sway a decision.
Looking back on the 43 years of ministry in three different churches, we are grateful for the privilege to have been blessed by the generous, free will giving of the people of God. There were certain pressures that accompanied this blessing but the privilege of being on the receiving end of this kind of moving of God in the hearts of people has been a true source of joy in our lives. Every pay check we have received, every extra gift God provided is a gift of grace that reminded us of the generous grace of God. In each church I served in, there were some lean times. Times when it was difficult to pay bills and difficult to meet payroll. In each time, God’s people rallied, sacrificed some more, and made sure that bills and people were paid. A few times, my wife and I were not able to help much and we were the recipients of that great grace. At other times, we were able to be part of that sacrificial, grace giving and it was a new kind of joy. All of it is for and because of the glory of God. We thank him every day that we can plan a future. But we also rejoice in the faithful givers at JBC that have truly blessed us and are faithful ‘not in vainers”.
One of the gifts the church has given us a picture of the church. We will hang that in our new home as a reminder of time at JBC but also as a reminder of the truth that so much of what we have is because of their faithful to giving to us. Thank you.
Back in 2012 when I began writing this little blog I entitled it, “Not in Vain”. It was taken from my dad’s life verse, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain.” I Cor 15:58. I Corinthians 15 is the great chapter about the resurrection. Paul ends the chapter with this exhortation encouraging us that we should live our lives in this manner due to the fact that this life is not all that there is. We will be resurrected and we will live eternally and so how we live now, matters eternally. As I end my time writing this blog I wanted to recognize those who have lived their life in light of eternity and have lived as “not in vainers”.
Nancy and I, from time to time, will take the time to remind each other of the truth that our church family, our friends, worked hard, sacrificed and gave to the Lord. Their giving was then mainly used to make sure that JBC was able to keep functioning. One of the main expenses, at any church, is the salaries of those it employs. That meant that our church family and our friends paid our salary. Their hard work and sacrifice allowed my family to live. Their generosity allowed our family to live comfortably. That is a very humbling thought. Everything that I have been able to provide for my family is because of the grace and mercy of God. Almost everything that I have been able to provide for my family is because of the generous people of JBC. Yes, we worked to earn our keep but the beauty of how God has provided through the free will giving of his people is something that has, and continues to humble me.
To be totally honest, it could also be scary. To be so dependent on the giving hearts of people can be a scary proposition. I have heard plenty of stories of big donors who hold their giving over a pastor’s head so that he has to worry about how his children were going to be fed. Pastor’s preach a message that steps on someone’s toes and those people take their money and their toes and go someplace else. People get riled up because the church votes against an idea they have and so they withhold their offerings. It can be a scary thought to be so dependent on the generosity and obedience of people. It is why a pastor must be humbled by the giving of people but keep his eyes fixed on the true provider. I am so tremendously moved by the blessing God has given Nancy and I to serve in a church where we never had to deal with those kinds of horror stories…at least none that we knew about! No one ever put pressure on me to back off a sermon or sway a decision.
Looking back on the 43 years of ministry in three different churches, we are grateful for the privilege to have been blessed by the generous, free will giving of the people of God. There were certain pressures that accompanied this blessing but the privilege of being on the receiving end of this kind of moving of God in the hearts of people has been a true source of joy in our lives. Every pay check we have received, every extra gift God provided is a gift of grace that reminded us of the generous grace of God. In each church I served in, there were some lean times. Times when it was difficult to pay bills and difficult to meet payroll. In each time, God’s people rallied, sacrificed some more, and made sure that bills and people were paid. A few times, my wife and I were not able to help much and we were the recipients of that great grace. At other times, we were able to be part of that sacrificial, grace giving and it was a new kind of joy. All of it is for and because of the glory of God. We thank him every day that we can plan a future. But we also rejoice in the faithful givers at JBC that have truly blessed us and are faithful ‘not in vainers”.
One of the gifts the church has given us a picture of the church. We will hang that in our new home as a reminder of time at JBC but also as a reminder of the truth that so much of what we have is because of their faithful to giving to us. Thank you.
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