Category Archives: Inspiration

Fear and Trust

“Our own apathy and fear keep us from presenting the Word.” – Curt Walters

Photo Credit: Libby Norcross, www.libbydoodle.com

So often we become caught up in obsessing over our “Calling” in this world. We spend hours upon hours, and dollars upon dollars, trying to discern what we are supposed to do with our lives. We think a clear path is waiting for us. We think we need to see the ‘end result’ before we see the path to travel on the way.

Yesterday (Sunday, May 11, 2014) I listened while my pastor blew this notion out of the water.

The title for the morning sermon was “The World’s First Mission Trip.” It wasn’t what we usually think of when we hear the words “mission trip.” This was about Paul and Barnabas being sent out from the church in Antioch. The only plan they had was to share the gospel with those they met on their journey. They went where the Holy Spirit led, with no specific destination in mind.

When was the last time your church sent out a missionary this way? Most likely, never.

God had a plan for this particular sermon on this particular day. (As I suspect is always the case.)

The day before, Pastor Jerry Van Oyen passed away. Pastor Van Oyen was the minister at my church when I was young. From the earliest I can remember, until Middle School, he was the man on the pulpit.

Since then, about a 30 year time frame, he left to pastor and lead churches in a variety of places and a variety of ways. Eventually, as ‘retirement’ settled in, he and his wife Ellen, returned to my church. But he never stopped being a pastor. More importantly, he never stopped being a true evangelist. From Mexico to Cutlerville, and every point in between, he was truly an evangelist. His wife even quipped that he wouldn’t be of any use in Heaven. I’ll have to tell her I disagree.

Even as I sat in the pew yesterday morning, Pastor Van Oyen was evangelizing and leading. He was leading me.

Combined with the sermon, I became more than ever confident of my calling from God.

So often we are afraid to truly give ourselves to the leading of the Lord. We’re afraid he will send us to the most uncomfortable place in the world. We pray for leading. We pray for proper preparation. Do we truly embrace and release ourselves to what he has in store for us? Do we give in and let fear hold us back?

I know I’ve been pushing back a bit. Out of fear of the unknown I decide to hold back. No more.

I am confident in my current calling. God wants me to write. God wants me to speak. God wants me to share my story with you. Whatever I have to give, I will give. Whatever trust issues I had, I will toss aside. I will listen to his speaking. I will go where he wants me to go. I will write and speak the words he gives me. I will share.

Once I decided to let go of my fear, God provided.

I have a speaking engagement on my calendar. The third weekend in June I will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it happen. Once I released my fear, and placed my full trust in God’s plan for me, it became clear. God provided a way for me to be in Tulsa.

I look forward to sharing my calling and God’s plan with all of you.

So, toss off your own fear. Listen intently. Follow and go where you are called. Trust. Truly trust in his plan. He knows what he is doing.

Have you been holding back because of fear? Where have you pushed fear aside to follow God’s plan?

#Next3Decades

Book Review – Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough by Justin and Trisha Davis

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“To overcome an ordinary marriage, you have to fight for your spouse, not with your spouse.”

Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough

When was the last time you fought FOR your spouse? I’m guessing you fought with your spouse more recently than you fought for your spouse. For some people, me included, the idea of fighting for your spouse is a bit odd. Didn’t I fight for her when I wanted to date her? I assumed I didn’t need to fight for her any longer when we both said “I do” on our wedding day. In this outstanding book, Justin and Trisha Davis try to help us throw this kind of thinking out the window.

The Davis’ have crafted a book to encourage all of us. Whether you are married, single, or divorced, this book will provide you with valuable skills and ideas to improve a marriage and the other relationships in your life. Through the sharing of their personal story of young love, ignorance, assumptions, betrayal, and finally an incredible God blessed renewal, they present the reader with a plan for strength in marriage and relationship.

Personally, this book was a slap in the face. It has served as a wake-up call for me. Convinced of the incredible power in the story and message of this book, I did a couple of things out of the norm for me. The first thing I did was to ask my wife to read the book. When I finished it she was in the middle of an online college class (on top of her full-time job), so only recently did she begin reading it. The second action involved spending some money so I could share the power of the message. I haven’t kept exact count, but I believe I’ve given away ten copies of the book. It is that good.

Because I don’t want to tell the whole story of the book, I’m going to keep this review a bit on the vague side. This story needs to be read by you personally. You need to experience it on your own. Please, trust me. You NEED to read this book. Here are a few key passages I highlighted.

“God doesn’t want to improve your marriage; he wants to transform it. God doesn’t want to modify your behavior; he wants to change your heart. Extraordinary comes when you, as a husband or wife, invite God to change you.”

I’ll add one word to the end of that sentence. “…invite God to change you” TOGETHER. God is not calling us to be transformed alone. A marriage isn’t supposed to be ‘alone’ or for individuals. Marriage is meant to be experienced TOGETHER. So many of us live through our marriages alone and on our own. Yes, there are other people in the house, but we are still surviving as individuals. Justin and Trisha share an incredible story. Their story calls us to do our marriage TOGETHER.

You + Your Spouse + God = TOGETHER

Does this quote feel familiar?

“…the success of our marriage was arranged around what we could avoid, rather than loving each other more deeply, knowing each other better, sharing our dreams more, understanding our passions, and growing our intimacy with one another.”

What are you avoiding in your marriage? When was the last time your shared your dream with your spouse? Do you know what inspires passion in your spouse? How about intimacy?

Do you hold anything against your spouse? Or, do you hold anything against yourself that may be keeping you from sharing your full self with your spouse? Read this book.

I am amazed and thankful for the incredible depth of their relationship shared by Justin and Trisha. Extreme sorrow and brokenness are combined with profound joy and transformation. What for all intents and purposes should have ended in incredible sorrow, God saw fit to use for incredible renewal and joy. Get this book. Read it. Use this book to inspire renewal in your life. When you finish it, apply the messages you learned. And then, share it. The Davis’ shared their story as a healing gift for others. I’m going to share mine too. Please join me. Let’s use our stories to improve the lives of those around us.

Visit the Refine Us website to learn more about the Davis’, their journey, and the outstanding resources available to strengthen your marriage.

Do you have a story of pain and renewal as it relates to marriage? Have you experienced incredible, miraculous healing from God in your marriage? I’d love to hear your story. Share your story in the comments, or contact me directly at ricktheule@gmail.com

I’d love to hear from you.