Lessons Learned in 3-D: Resignation

This week has been gut wrenchingly hard.   My pastor’s resignation has left my whole church grieving.  I’ve experienced so many emotions — heartbreak, confusion, despair, and anger.  When someone you love and respect disappoints you, I think it’s easy to become callous and bitter.  If you don’t turn to Jesus, you tend to “resign” yourself to defeat.

This week, I was reminded that God is sovereign.  No matter what happens — my foundation is sure.  As I lean into Him, I can move forward with hope and confidence because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Here are 5 lessons I learned this week through the sadness:

1.  I am called to live a crucified life.  Bob Franquiz reminded me that “You are only accountable as you want to be… No amount of accountability can replace a heart that is right with God.”

2.  I should be grateful for my disillusionment with man and move toward greater intimacy with Christ.  I need to understand that my brothers and sisters are human.  I love how Sarah Bessey explained this:

It’s freedom for the disillusioned because now we get to enjoy the richness of relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit without any intermediary or filter. I get to follow Jesus, not you. I get to be part of community that is rich and full.”

3.  Rob Hoskins encouraged me to always walk in grace:

However justifying or soothing that feeling of condescension might be as it wells up within you, I urge you to identify it and dismiss it for what it is—a Satanic ploy to destroy you and the body of Christ. Any joyful inclination that one might feel in the failure of another is in itself a moral failure.

4.  I don’t need to know the details of someone else’s sin — even if they are a public figure.  Pat Seiler said it well:

It’s a good time to examine your conversations and desire for information.

We don’t need to know details; we don’t need to spread what we know. If you do, are you gossiping? Consider this verse: “He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

5.  The enemy is subtle and patient.  I need to put my armor on daily.  Ron Edmonson explained:

Stand guard. If we ever believe we are above temptation we have opened the door for the enemies prowl to be effective. Most of the time it begins subtly. No one wakes up in a single day and thinks about destroying their personal life. It happens gradually over time.

Q4U:  What did you learn this week?

I am sharing “Mindfulness” and joining like-minded sisters this weekend at Saturday Linky Love, The Weekend Brew, Whatever is Lovely, Five on Friday, Random Five Fridays, Friday Finds, Women of Worship and The Friday Five.  

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