How to Get Things Done

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

Group projects have never been my favorite. In school it always seemed like a group would be full of people who were full of ideas but not great at execution, or, occasionally, vice versa--lots of people ready to get stuff done, but short on good ideas. I once compared a group to an air balloon--we needed the passion people full of ideas and looking up towards possibility, as well as the planners, tethering us to the ground and to reality where we could actually get things done. Without that balance, we wouldn’t have been able to successfully accomplish our goal.

Photo Credit: Austin Ban

The story of Nehemiah shows us a lot about how to move beyond ourselves and do something more that can benefit the world around us. After he learned about the plight of his people, Nehemiah first mourned, fasted, and prayed. His waiting didn’t diminish his passion, but allowed it to deepen and take the shape it truly needed to. Then, when the time finally came for him to pursue his passion, he had had time to plan and now it just needed to be enacted. Nehemiah strategically waited until the start of a new year, when it was customary for the king to grant a request from his servants--it was the perfect opportunity for Nehemiah to request what he needed in order to set into motion his plan to rebuild the wall for his people. 

If Nehemiah had acted brashly, immediately begging the king for permission to rebuild the wall, it’s rather unlikely the king would have granted his request. It also wouldn’t have given Nehemiah time to think through everything he would really need in order for this to come to be. In addition to his request to be permitted to leave his post as cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah realized there were many other things he needed that he couldn’t accomplish all on his own. There were official documents he needed, tons of supplies, and once he got there, many people to help actually build the wall. No matter how much passion and planning Nehemiah had, he couldn’t have accomplished this on his own. 

In the same way, all the passion and planning in the world will turn out to be worth nothing if we haven’t sought God throughout. As Nehemiah asked the king for what he needed to put his project into motion, he continued to seek God. Nehemiah 2:4 tells us, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” It’s easy to get caught up in ideas we’re passionate about and to move forward full steam ahead, or to get so caught up in planning every tiny little detail that we lose sight of the reason we’re even doing what we’re doing. 

Even if our project is deemed an earthly success, if we’ve failed to consider the only one whose opinion truly matters, we haven’t really succeeded. Our passion and our plans must always be done in alignment with God’s passion and plans. It doesn’t mean things will always go just like we wanted them to, or that our passion is always directed in the right way, but it puts us in the best possible place for God to do his good work in the world through us. 


[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

When It Seems Like God Lied

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

There are many promises throughout the Bible.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

In our best moments, these verses likely come as a source of deep comfort. When we’re in the middle of difficult times though, having these verses offered as solutions to our problems can be frustrating or even annoying. Does losing a job seem like a plan to prosper us? Do illnesses, failed classes, divorces, cruel bosses, or financial ruin seem like giving us a hope and a future? There are times when God’s promises feel more like lies than truth.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Francis

Isaiah was the prophet who spoke to King Ahaz when his country of Judah was in a messy situation, being attacked by various kingdoms. But instead of listening to Isaiah’s words from God and trusting God to provide, he took matters into his own hands. Ahaz used money set aside apart for God to strike a deal with another nation, even though he had specifically been told not to. His disobedience and lack of trust put in motion the events that would eventually lead to the nation of Judah being exiled. 

It’s easy to scoff at King Ahaz for not believing God would come through, but one of the things that’s difficult for me about the Bible is that all the stories are so close together. We read the story of Isaiah prophesying to King Ahaz about a baby who will set everything right, and we flip a few hundred pages later and read the story of the baby’s arrival. What we miss is all those years in between, when the world seemed to be crumbling and God seemed to be silent. Anyone who originally heard the prophecy, or heard about it from a family member or friend, was long dead by the time the prophecy was fulfilled. Entire generations lived and died in the 700 years between when Isaiah foretold the baby's coming and when the baby was actually born.

But just because the people couldn’t see it doesn’t mean God wasn’t working.

In the Christmas story we find the hope of God’s kept promises, despite what we may be seeing or feeling in our own lives right now. We might feel forsaken, or like God’s plans are actually harming us, or that he’s completely ignoring the desires of our heart despite our delighting in him. There is nothing easy or simple about feeling that way, and we don’t have to pretend like we’re not--God is big enough to handle our frustrations and angst about what’s happening in our lives. At the same time, we can trust his promises. They may not come true in any way we can see today or tomorrow or thirty years from now, but his vision extends far beyond the span of our lives. Henri Nouwen once wrote, “Hope is trusting that something will be fulfilled, but fulfilled according the promises and not just according to our wishes. Hope is always open-ended.” 

The same God who sent his own son as the fulfillment of a 700-year-old promise is working now to fulfill the promises he’s made to us in his word. While not a traditional Christmas song, the words to Elevation Worship’s “Your Promises” are so fitting:

Doesn’t matter what I feelDoesn’t matter what I seeMy hope will always beIn your promises to me

In whatever situations we find ourselves in this Christmas season, may the story of God’s kept promises provide hope we can cling to when we need it most, and eyes to see the ways he is already at work. 

[Brianna DeWitt is a Christmas enthusiast. She believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]