People Need the Lord

(The following is from a deep conversation between myself and another homesteadblogger concerning spiritual matters.)
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Original message from janaeel:

Hi,
I am a 46 yr old construction business owner from washington. I was introduced to you blog from a a commentor on HSB. I went back and read nearly every post you wrote to date. I was very inspired and at the same time saddened by the way my life has turned out. I have the knowhow to do what you do on your farm and enjoy that part but I seem to be missing something spiritually. I have never been very religious but when I encounter someone as your self my life seems to have an obvious hole. I am afraid that if I were to pursue the need the the people in my life would distance themselves from me. We live a lifestyle not bad but lacking in direction in the faith department. You and your children seem so grounded. I know by your blog that you are a busy man with work farm and your preaching but I was hoping you might have a few words of advice.

Thank you for your time,

Janaeel
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Original message from Purewater:

Dear Janaeel,

It sounds like God has been trying to direct you in the direction He knows is best! It does take some major leaps of faith, but He will always help when a man desires to lead his family in the way they should go, toward God.

It is hard to offer specific advice without knowing your situation better, but I have picked up enough from your couple of posts to say a little.

Your number one priority has to be your own spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. It is important to daily meet with Him during a quiet time, when you can read His word and ask Him questions. Even just 10 minutes a day will be a great help. For most, early in the morning is the best time, before everyone else in the house has gotten to moving around. It sounds like He has already been showing you things in your own life that can be given up or improved upon for His glory. The more time you can spend reading the Bible the better.

Second priority has to be getting your wife on board 100%. My family would be a wreck if my wife and I did not have the same focus. As you move closer to the Lord and begin to change, it is likely that your wife will notice. You should share with her what the Lord is showing you. Hopefully she won't resent your spiritual leadership; most wives long for such leadership, but they don't know how to put it into words.

Do you all have a Bible believing church where you can worship together? This can be important, but be careful that you don't fall into the trap of depending completely on them for your families spiritual nurishment. You are actually the one responsible and you will be better suited to direct your family than any pastor or Sunday school teacher. You wrote that your youngest is 10. How old are your others? It may be hard changing the relationships you have with them, but in time, they will see the change in you and will likely be open to discover what it is all about. Deep down, teens desire love, guidance and boundaries.

These are some of my initial thoughts after praying about it for the past hour or so. I wish you well, and will be praying for you. What is your first name? It would be easier praying specifically instead of for "Janeel". Unless that is your name, in which case I hope I did not just offend you.

Anyway,

God Bless,

Eric

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Original message from janaeel:

Hi, Eric

My name is Bill. I have children 27,22, 12, 10. 10 & 22 are boys the others girls, 3 grandsons – 9,3, 6 months. I am hoping that if I make this change the people I will meet will be more genuine than the ones I am currently surrounded by. Most leave me feeling so empty because the just need me for what I can do for them but dont involve me on a personal level. Everyone seems so self obsorbed but it may be just me and the hole in my life i am feeling. It may be clouding my views. Thank you for your prayers and the time you took to respond. I know you are a busy man.

Best Wishes to your family,

Bill

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Hello Bill,

You've mentioned a couple of times about me being a busy man. This is true, but I actually enjoy taking my time and just experiencing the life God has given us. There are always things going on, which can make things seem busy, but really it is just life. Instead of feeling busy, I am usually just in awe of what God is doing every day. It helps when I can take myself out of the picture and see things from His perspective. I am just a small part in His wonderful plan.

I am convinced that God desires peace and simplicity for His children. We will still have trials and tribulations, even as His children, but He wants us to have His peace and perspective through all the bad times.

I really don't know what you are looking for, but I'm sure that God does, and if He can use a few of my words on a blog site or a message, then I will give Him praise! God has kept you on my mind all day at work, and since you messaged back, I'm taking that as a signal to share more "advice" with you. I pray that you will not be offended but that you will listen with an open mind and heart.

You already know that I am a preacher, so maybe you won't be suprised with a long-winded response. I'm not going to shoot out a lot of Bible at you, even though the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. I sense that you probably just need someone to be "real" with you and tell you the truth, from a Biblical perspective.

You are correct that most folks in our world are overly self-absorbed. God wants us to be Savior-absorbed instead. Some might accuse me of being too absorbed with my family, but my family is what God expects my time and attention to focus on. I am serving God by leading and serving my family, and focusing on their well being is ultimitely accomplishing the cause of Christ.

I may not be the greatest preacher and I may not be the most successful pastor in the eyes of many, but if my family is going in His direction, living for Him, and are able to serve Him in whatever capacity He desires, than I believe He will be pleased with my service.

However, you cannot lead a family to a place where you have never been yourself. You cannot accomplish your purpose in life if you don't really know what your life is meant to be about. You can't know what life is really about if you don't know what Jesus Christ is all about. And you can't truly know that until you know Him!

You said earlier that you have never been a very religious man. This can actually be a good thing for you! "Religious" ideas often get in the way of God's plan. For too many people, their "religion" actually causes them to miss the whole idea of what God really wants.

I am convinced that God does not want a "religion" with us, but instead wants a "relationship" with us. Religion can be misinterpretted by fallen man, when God really wants us to "know" Him and trust Him in a personal way. That is the whole reason that He came in flesh and blood as a human. Jesus Christ came as the only perfect sacrifice for our sin. When He died on the cross and rose again the third day, He made the way for us to be forgiven and have eternal life, but He also made a way for us to know God in an intimate and personal way while we live out our lives here and now!

I was especially fortunate that I discovered this when I was just 19 years old, and have had Him to help me throughout my entire adult life. I've made my share of mistakes going along, but He has always been here to guide me through them, and He is still helping me to decide the next steps to take for my family!

I know that age does not matter to God, and someone who is 46 can find the same peace and blessedness that I did at 19! He can lead you and guide you from this point onward, if you will let Him. I know some of your challenges will be different from mine since you already have a couple of grown children, but even though they may have their own families, you can still have a great impact on them. And your grandchildren need a godly grandfather in their lives! God will help you to know how to relate to your 10 year old son and 12 year old daughter, as well, as you grow closer to Him and begin to understand His will for you!

You do not have to go to a church to get on this narrow road. That may sound strange for a preacher to say, but it is true. I was "saved" out under a giant tree when I actually left the service. Instead of coming up the aisle to the alter, I bolted out the door. I found myself sitting under this tree, crying out to God.

My cry was similar to yours, I think, because I saw His joy reflected in the tears of other people in that service and yet all I felt was an emptiness. My tears were ones of self-pity and despair. The main question I remember saying out loud under that tree was, "What's wrong, God? Why am I so miserable? I'm doing the best I can, but something is missing. What is it, what's wrong, God? I want to be happy like other people. What's wrong with me?" I'd like to say that I used all the proper words about confessing my sin and asking for forgiveness and inviting Him into my heart, but pretty much I was just sobbing that same question repeatedly, "What's wrong, God?"

I don't think that I was even expecting an answer; I was just having one major pity-party. Thankfully, I was not the only one there under that tree in the midst of my pity-party. The one and true Lord, creator of all things, was also there! I had a head knowledge of God, but until that time, I didn't really even believe for sure that He was real! In the quietness of the moment, inbetween my sobs, I heard His still, small voice. His message to me during that moment was, "Eric, you don't really know me at all. I want to be part of your life. I want to be your life."

I can't really say exactly how the unspoken conversation went from that point, but I knew that He was telling me He would help me, and I knew that from that moment on, my life was going to be different. Without really forming any words, I realized that I had caused all of my pain myself through my sin and that it actually hurt God worse than it even hurt me, because He loved me so much. I wish I could say that I actually vocalized a prayer telling Him how sorry I was for going against Him all my life, but I did not. I felt it, however, and as I later came to know Him better, I was able to understand what all was going on in my heart that night. I invited Him to come into my heart and life without really forming the words.

We preachers often speak of the "sinners prayer" and sometimes "religion" gets in the way. Yes, a person must admit they are a sinner, repent of those sins, ask for forgiveness, and ask Christ to save them by coming into their heart. Many people have repeated three lines of a "sinner's prayer" and then been declared "Saved". I'm sure some have actually been saved during such times. I can tell you what happened to me was a very real experience, even though I did not say the "magic words" perfectly. God saved me and I was truly "born again"!

Maybe God wanted me to share all that just so you can better understand what He is trying to do in your life. God is real, salvation is real, and Jesus is waiting for "whosoever will call".

A verse in Revelation has always spoken to me, and it was the final verse that He used to get my oldest son to understand. Jesus is speaking, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." He wants to have a personal relationship with you, just like a friend you have over for supper! He's knocking at the door to your heart, so to speak, and all you have to do is open it up and let Him come in!

After you experience this for yourself, you will understand that your life is meant to be all about serving God in holiness. We serve God by serving other people, first and foremost our families. It is an incredibly liberating truth to understand that God has a purpose for your life and that it is all in His hands. Whatever comes your way, God can use for His glory! It takes all the pressure off, to give your life over to Him. The peace that passes all understanding and His love will fill all the holes and empty places in your life!

He will help you to guide your business for His glory as well. Your life, your family, your business, your dreams; God is actually interested in every part of your life, and He wants in!

If you watch movies, you should find one called "Flywheel". I've seen the DVD for rent at Food City before. It was the first movie from the same guys who did "Facing the Giants" and "Fire Proof" (both of which are also great movies to check out). "Flywheel" is not as famous as those other two, but it has a great message. I'm thinking about it because it is about a guy who owns a business (car lot) and how God intervenes in his life, family, and business. While you are at it, you ought to rent those other two, as well, when you get a chance. I know you want to have less TV, (which is a very important and worthy goal) but a well timed family movie night, with a godly movie, can be an awesome time. It may be a way God will begin to work in your wife and children as well.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm pretty far away geographically, but technology wise, I'm just next door. I hope I have not overwhelmed you with all this. I believe it has been orchastrated by God, though, so I will try not to apologize for writing so much!

Looking forward to hearing how God moves in your life!

In His Love,

Eric