So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore: An Unexpected Journey

by Wayne Jacobsen

“I’ll admit your circumstances seem much worse now. But that’s not the only place to look. You’re on a new road with your eyes on old road signs. I think what God wants you to know is that those old road signs are nothing but myths to prop up a dying system. They don’t really work, as you’re finding out.” “What kind of myths?” “For one, you think suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure with you. Didn’t Job make that mistake? Suffering often indicates that God is setting us free from something so that we can follow and embrace him more deeply. Walking in his life will always mean you are going against the grain. Don’t expect your circumstances to conform easily to this journey. They will resist it at every turn. God wants to teach you how to walk with him through these things so that you can know a joy and peace that transcends circumstance.” “But doesn’t God promise to bless those who follow his ways?” “Certainly that is the fruit of doing so, but he doesn’t define those blessings in your terms. He’s leading you on a greater journey than you can yet fathom. Keep following him and you’ll be absolutely astounded by him. The hardest thing you’ll learn in this journey is to give up the illusion of controlling your own life or that you can manipulate God to bless you.”