The Transitions of Life!

For the past six years, I have been honored to serve as the District Supervisor for the Foursquare Churches in the Southeast. It has been an amazing journey and I would not change one minute of life in this role, serving these amazing churches and pastors.  As our denomination has been working through a process that we called "Reimagine", the role of the supervisor was carefully considered, and each supervisor was asked to submit to a process of prayer and interview to determine if they would continue in this role for the next five year term.  While Michelle and I genuinely believed that we would be selected to serve another term, it wasn't to be.  During the interview process, it became abundantly clear that God had called us to serve in another role; a local church context. Initially, we were surprised because in the natural, that wasn't in the realm of our thought processes.  However, it immediately became evident to us that God was orchestrating a new season and out of His grace and love for our family, we were being ushered into new and exciting opportunities.  

It's All about the Fam, bout the Fam, bout the Fam...

When I stepped into this role, it was myself, my wife, Veronica and our 4 children.  One year into it, my precious Veronica went to be with the Lord and I found myself as a single Dad with four children. The Foursquare Church was so gracious to me personally and to my children and allowed me the time that I needed to find life and restoration once again. The role of supervisor gave me the space that I desperately needed and most likely would not have found serving as a local church pastor. My church also stood by me throughout the engagement and ultimately, my marriage to Michelle.  Again, we were given the time and space to make the adjustments in life that we so needed. When I started in this position, my son, Joseph was 6 years old…today, he is 12 (obviously). Should I take one more term, he would be 17 and due to the mass amount of travel required for this position, I would have missed my son's life.  What should it profit a supervisor to build the greatest district in America, but lose his own son?  Not only that, but I have an amazing set of two year old twins who need their daddy! I am looking forward to not being on the road extensively and pouring my life into one church and one community.

A Few Lessons Learned...

If You Keep Doing the Same thing, You'll keep Getting the Same Thing

It's become pretty obvious to me that God is wanting to do something new in my life and in order for that to happen, He had to do something new in my life! Just this past Sunday I preached about the New Things of God based on Isaiah 43:19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." So many people are looking for the "new season" of God, but actually what God is doing is a "new thing". It's the new thing of God that ushers in the new season. Many times, we want to keep doing the same ol' thing and want the new season.  If you find yourself in a wilderness or a wasteland, allow God to bring the new thing in to your life and when He does, get ready for the new season!

Today's Investment's are Tomorrow's Blessings...

When you make an investment into your savings account, the chances are strong that you one day you will also make a withdrawal. God is the same way, He is making significant life investments into you today that He will draw on later in your life.  So, things didn't go as planned. You are being ushered into a new season. Does that mean that all of your activity was for naught? No! It means that God is using your current job, your current status and situation to shape, fashion and form your life, and that His purposes transcend your current circumstances.  The past six years serving as a supervisor have absolutely shaped my life in ways that nothing else could. I am a different man, a different leader with a greater and heightened sense of leadership awareness than I had when I started in this position.  I am thankful for every opportunity, every challenge, every victory and even the setbacks that I experienced. All of them have served to make me the man and leader that I am today.

Old wineskins Can't Hold new Wine…

Luke 5:3-38, "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins." 

What exactly made it an old wineskin?  Several things…it had been already been stretched to it's limit, it had lost it's natural resiliency, and had lost it's ability to contract and expand. Pouring new wine (a new season) into the same old wineskin will cause it burst and the wine will be poured out on the ground and lost forever. Because God is doing a new thing in your life, the old structure cannot contain it. Although it's hard to let go and hard to say goodbye and tough giving up that which is comfortable, you have to cross that threshold to enter into the new season of the Lord.

Roles and Titles don't Define You!

The easiest thing in the world is to become enamored with the "title" that you've been given or the role in which you serve.  Throughout the transitions in my life, some easy and some difficult; I have learned that it's the man that makes the role, not the role that makes the man! When you live your life primarily as a leading-servant and the days and seasons of your life are in the hands of the Lord, the roles and titles may come and go, but your life's mission is not tied up in any particular season. My life's work and role are going to continue, and the calling is the same. The only thing that changes is the "thing" that God has been using. But now, He's doing a new thing!

Here are a Few and Humble Suggestions

Stay the Course!

In the natural, it's easy to get discouraged and start placing blame, either on yourself or those that are involved in your current situation.  You have to remember that your life is not up for grabs and even if you are going through a transition that God didn't plan for your life, He will still use the circumstances to bring about His perfect will and plan for you. Don't allow yourself to get in discouragement or fear. Keep reading the Word, keep praying, keep worshipping and keep fellowshipping.  Don't allow your words to bring about confusion in your family, your spouse or your friends. You are being shaped and developed and the new thing that God is doing in your life is exactly what you need. Don't turn to the right or to the left, but keep your Godly perspective.

Maintain Focus…

This is not a time to allow yourself to get distracted! In the first few days after realizing that I would not continue in my current role, I had to find my focus. All kinds of emotions come to the surface and the lies of the enemy are in endless supply.  I had to sort through and find my emotional, spiritual and even physical focus.  I had to remind myself that I am in God's hands, man does not dictate or determine my future and my success in life. It's not a time to panic or to worry about what will happen next.  It's a time to stand in faith, stand in the Word and trust God for His perfect timing and release into your new season.

Maintain Balance

Depression is not an option. Discouragement is not an option. Distress is not an option.  All of those are lies of the enemy and not where you need to find yourself.  The balance is in making a decision that you will continue being the person that God has called you to be.  Every morning, I spend time in the Word and in prayer.  I'm spending quality time with my wife and my kids and continuing to spend time with my friends.  There is a time and a season for everything and this is not the time to crash and burn, but the time to rise up with expectancy and embrace the new thing and the new season that God is bringing you into!

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