Filtered Through the Love of God

I am a person who thrives on structure. This is not my normal temperament, because whenever I take personality tests they say I need spontaneity and freedom from structure. No offense to the personality test in that they might bring to light my natural inclinations, but that doesn’t mean those desires are good for me. I have discovered without structure and good planning, I don’t accomplish very much, and when I don’t accomplish very much, I become discouraged. And when I become discouraged I accomplish even less, and I fall prey to overwhelming guilt. And when I feel guilty, I rebel and turn to sports, food, or Netflix to solve my problems and assuage my depression. Now, this description vastly oversimplifies things, but it is a true behavior cycle none-the-less.

So what do I do? I look to the Bible for wisdom and direction (see Luke 14:25-33 about building a tower or going to war) I also turn to God and ask Him through the power of the Holy Spirit to help me create a structured environment that will keep my mind and emotions on a productive track. I plan and set blocks of time in my calendar to draw close to God, to write sermons, to develop and supervise the church staff, to set a reasonable counseling schedule for the congregation, and most importantly setting boundaries to spend time with my wife and my family.

And then everything gets turned upside down with the Coronavirus. Wow, my schedule and planning just completely changed. What’s a person to do?

1. I pray for God to help me with a new plan and structure. He is still God, and He loves me no matter what my emotions and circumstances say.
2. Even though my Sundays feel like Fridays, and my Thursdays feel like Sundays, I surrender to God and follow Him and the new schedule.
3. I remind myself that nothing comes into my life that is not filtered through the love of God.
4. I walk by faith, trusting God to be my source of joy and peace.

And, when things change again, I pray for flexibility and the ability to continue to adapt to new things and opportunities in this crazy world. How about you? Are you a fan of structure? Have you surrendered to God’s plan for your life, no matter what that means?

I continue to pray for you all. God bless and stay safe.

God Bless,

Pastor Derek

Watch "Filtered Through the Love of God" below or browse previous video devotionals from Pastor Derek.