Let Nothing Move You

Let Nothing Move You

"Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labors are not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58

Good morning, my brothers! I just read this story that I thought would be worth sharing with you this morning. Somebody reading today's Freedom Fighter just might be in a situation were you are frustrated with where God has placed you and everything around you seems to be out of control. Well hold on ...

Jonathan, who pastored a church in New England for twenty-three years, faced everything from power struggles to salary controversies to questions about his leadership. Once, he confronted some boys in the church after they had taunted several young girls with suggestive comments. His handling of the situation outraged the boys' parents and fueled their resistance toward him.

Another issue swirled around his visitation policy. He knew his greatest primary gifts were preaching and teaching rather than other traditional pastoral ones. So in contrast to what was considered customary, he chose to make a visit only when an emergency occurred. However, many members began to fault him for "not loving people," which further stoked Church dissatisfaction.

Fortunately, Pastor Jonathan had a friend, John, upon whom he often leaned. John's stature in that church helped ameliorate many issues that otherwise could have derailed the ministry, and his presence helped keep criticism at bay.

Unfortunately after John's death, the simmering problems floated to the surface. One particular man was so hostile to Jonathan's leadership that be became the ringleader of a large opposition group.

One final matter became the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. The previous pastor had loosely allowed unbelievers to become members, and Jonathan later became aware that several of those members had flagrantly sinned. In their small community, these sins had become quite public, and since he believed that only believers who evidenced a change life should join the church, he began to change the policy.

A firestorm erupted, and Jonathan knew that were he to stand firm on his conviction, he could lose his pastorate. But he stood his ground, and the inevitable occurred. They fired him, and at age forty-six he found himself unemployed. The rejection became so intense that the agricultural town forbade him even to use common grazing land for his farm animals.

One friend, noting how Jonathan responded to his firing, wrote, "I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week, but he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of the reach of his enemies and whose treasure was not only a future but a present good one.

Ten years later, because Jonathan had so graciously responded to his critics and his dismissal, one of his main detractors admitted that pride, self-sufficiency, ambition, and vanity had caused contention. The Pastor's handling of his ministry crisis left such an impression that eventually the church repented of their actions, exactly 50 years after they sent him packing. (from 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them -- Bethany House)

And who was Jonathan? Well he was one of the greatest Puritan preachers -- Jonathan Edwards, arguably one of America's greatest theologians!

Are you in a tough situation today where you need to stand firm? Commit 1 Corinthians 15:58 to memory and apply its truth to your heart today.

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 3; 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

Dig This Quote: God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself. – Oswald Chambers

Determined Digging: Level 1 --Proverbs 15:1; Level 2 -- Psalm 91:5-10