The Reformed Life

If you know me at all, you know that I am a very organized person who likes a plan. People would probably put me in the category of a type-A personality. I think about something and I have to make sure it gets done. During my time as a kitchen manager, my employees could tell you that I would constantly make checklists throughout the day. I like to be prepared for the task at hand and for all potential variables that could arise. My preparation flowed over to my school and family as well. Now, making lists and being organized is not a bad thing in itself. I wanted to be a good employee, I wanted to be a good student, wife, and mom. I think this is being a good steward of where God has placed me.

However, I was not depending on God in the unknown; I was filling in the question marks with my own thoughts and plans. I would make plans on plans on plans to make sure that I would know exactly what would happen. I would worry and stress over every possibility, not because I was a perfectionist, but because I did not want to fail or let people down. Soon enough, planning and preparing became a priority rather than living by faith, which is what we are commanded to do in the Bible. I had forgotten that my priority is to glorify God in all that I do, not man or self. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7

Over the past year this verse has become a common verse that I repeat throughout the day and I think we should as well. Why? First, we will be constantly reminded of the truths of God’s Word. Second, this helps us remember not to be dependent on man, but on God. Third, it helps keep us humble. In our constant preparation, we may be tempted to be in control of everything. We need to be reminded that we are not in control, but God is. He is sovereign; we are not, and God’s sovereignty is the remedy to our anxiety.

Replanting a church is very difficult. Moving away from your comfortable life of seminary, friends, jobs, and a loving church is difficult. Moving 1,200 miles away from family is difficult. Living in a time of the unknown is extremely scary. With so many unknowns it is hard to sit and let God be God. It was hard in my physical imperfect body to recognize that I cannot do anything apart from Christ.

We left Texas by faith and moved to Worcester, MA with the belief that God had called us here. When we arrived at our apartment, we found out that we would not have our furniture for 10 days. We did not receive some crucial funding for four months. This meant that we went four months without a paycheck (besides what I was making from VIPKID, and our limited support). We were alone and questioned “did God call us here?” I remember one month where Josh and I looked at each other and he told me we didn’t have the money to pay for rent or the month’s bills.

I looked at him because we were both defeated, and I told him if God wanted us to be here then He would provide. The next two days we received a gift card from dear friends which provided us money for food. We received random checks from two different churches, which paid for rent and bills, and then we received extra money from other individuals that gave us enough money for next month’s rent.

God showed His faithfulness to us in that moment. In probably one of our weakest and most vulnerable moments of life, God showed us and reminded us that He is God and we are not. This is not the first nor is it the last time that the Lord will provide for our needs. The Bible is clear that He will provide for our needs. When I look back on those first few months in New England, it reminds me of God’s faithfulness. It makes me wonder why I doubt God’s goodness and His faithfulness. He has never failed us.

My children have never gone without a meal. We have always had diapers, clothes, and our bills have been paid for every month. Throughout Scripture we are reminded of God’s faithfulness to His people. We see how even when the Israelites constantly would go against Him, He still provided them food and comfort. We see how He provided for Jonah while he was running against God’s will. We see how He provided for Paul time and time again as he was sharing the gospel all over the world. We see God’s faithfulness in the pages of Scripture, yet we don’t always live in that way. In our lives, we constantly fail to remind ourselves that God is faithful, and that He will provide.

I would encourage you to sit back and think about your life. Think about how God has been good and faithful in your own life. We need to thank God that He was faithful in the past, He is faithful in the present, and that He will be faithful in the future.

Think about it, the fact that you have breath in your lungs is an act of God that we should be thankful for. He has provided not only spiritual life, but physical life. With every breath, we inhale the mercy of God. How has God been faithful to you throughout your life? We are to be a people of faith. We believe that God is who He says He is, and that He will do all that He says He will do.In the book of Joshua, we read,

“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass (21:45).”

We serve a faithful God. He is a good Father that provides for His children. God has never broken a promise and He won’t start now. Peter says,

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”-1 Peter 5:7.

Let us cast our anxieties and stress on our God today, trusting that He is sovereign and He will always provide for His children.

Soli Deo Gloria

Courtney Chambers

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