Synergy

I spoke with the search team from Gap Creek on Wednesday night. They have decided to pass. This is fine, as we have had yet another church contact us.

After 25 years of being a Christian the ways of God are still a mystery to me. For years I believed that I shouldn’t send out resumes. That it was somehow unspiritual and unseemly to ASK a church to call you. That God would see to it that you were where you were supposed to be. I guess I was a bit hyper-Calvinistic in my ministry search! But if that is so, why do so many churches advertise? Now that I have sent my resume to a few churches (literally, about 10-15) I am getting responses back almost weekly. More than half of the search committee from the church in South Carolina went on a mission trip and will be home Monday. They have already asked us to travel to SC and meet them and preach: date to be determined. If nothing else at least I am getting my grove back behind the pulpit. I believe in synergy. Everything has a purpose and you have to let every element find its place in the whole. This is not New Age physcobabble. It is actually a Quality Assurance concept. But truly, it is older than that…read on.
Patty and I claimed a verse years ago as our verse for ministry and life, as you can imagine it is Jeremiah 29:11. Listen…
“For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD. Plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.”
God’s plan for my family and me are good ones. He is my God, and I am His servant. Now Paul adds to the confidence of Scripture for me. In a verse I claimed for myself 25 years ago. Again, listen to the Word…
“For we know all things work together for good, to those who love the Lord and who are called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28
Let me work with this one a bit. 1) Notice the word “know.” We KNOW God will be there for us, we do not have to wonder. 2) Notice the word “all.” Not in some things, but in all things, God is there with us. 3) Notice the word “work together.” Yeah, I know it’s two words in English, but it’s only one in Greek. It is the word sunergeo. It is where we get our word synergy. You know: different parts coming together to make a whole. It is the different elements of our lives, coming together to make a whole. Notice what it does not say! It does not say that everything IS GOOD. It says that things (events, tragedy, triumph, victory, and loss) all work together to become good in the end. I may not see the good now, but God sees the big picture. Also notice that this promise is only for those whom He has called. This is not meant to be Calvinist debate fodder. It means that those who have trusted in Him, the elect, the regenerate, the brethren. What it means is that those who have Jesus have already won. You see, the only way for it to all work out in the end is if you win eternity. It does not matter what happens in this life, but what happens in the next. Ultimately, things did not work out for good if you go to Hell! Trust in God and know, that no matter what, He is with you, and will never forsake you.

Blessings

Steve