Thursday, March 31, 2011

What's God doing in your life?

It's a question I hear often, "So....what's God doing in your life?" The thought, I'm sure, is honest and genuine, but a proper response is often hard to come up with. You see, I'm a pastor and God is supposed to be doing something amazing in my life all the time. Aren't I really close to God? Doesn't he hang out with me on weekends? The question, although sincere and honest, often leaves me struggling for a response. I hate to tell the person asking about my walk with God, "well, I have no idea what God's doing in my life right now. Frankly it feels like a giant train wreck, I don't sense his presence and don't feel like I've heard from him in a long time." Imagine the open mouths at that response. But, it's an honest response. Somehow there is the sense that a pastor, someone who "knows God personally," should have something mystical, existential, really amazing going on all the time. It's just not my reality. There are periods of time when I don't get any new insights, don't sense God's presence, don't "feel spiritual," and frankly feel rather cold and hard in my faith. It's difficult...this walk with God. It's difficult because we are in a society of the warm tingles, instant gratification, instant response to our requests, service....RIGHT NOW, but walking with God isn't that way. At least it's not that way for me. The walk often feels lonely, sometimes is difficult, and always is unpredictable. How can you answer, "what's God doing in your life?" when you don't even know? And so, I try my best to talk about the last good thing I remember, but maybe I should be more honest, more transparent about what this walk with God really looks like. Maybe others would feel comforted by the knowledge that it's not always easy for me either. Maybe I just did that.

4 comments:

Mike McM said...

A great post. An email forward I read this morning was about Mal. 3-3 God sitting as a refiner refining silver. The writer went to a silver smith to see the process. She found that the smith must sit and watch the silver in the midst of the fire until he sees his reflecdtion in the silver. I see the Refiners reflection in yur face whenever I see you.

Schweers' Mom said...

Frankly. I'm exhausted. I'm low on patience. My feelings have been hurt many times over the past month. I have at least caught brief glimpses of God in the craziness of my daily life only to have that glimpse of hope shot to smithereens the next second. I am disappointed in many fellow Believers and in the church in general. Life is messy and the older I get, the messier it is. Guess since I'm not an average "joe", me saying that isn't shocking. Or even notieceable to most people.

But I continue to pray for you friend. Maybe you'll see what God is doing soon.

Natalie said...

Perfect. I enjoyed this post... and perhaps it actually was an encouragement to me being that I feel like being here in Mexico has made me feel many times lonely, discouraged and definitely not spiritual after a 'train wreck' of a day as a mom.... I have found that many of the non-believing friends say, "But aren't you a christian? Don't you have God?" when they know I'm struggling... They miss the boat on what it looks like to walk with God. God is good. God is worthy. God is faithful. God is sovereign... but we live in a sinful world and fight the good fight everyday. Thanks for posting your 'honest' thoughts!

Anonymous said...

Great Post Mike, It’s good to know I’m not the only one that feels like that at times.
Thanks

Joe Martin