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(This was my response to a friend who had expressed that
he is feeling lost)
Hey [Friend]:
It's good to hear from you and we will be praying for you.
However, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but
when I read the lyrics to that song, it sounds so much like,
"I've done my part (coming and waiting, etc.). Now, Lord,
do your part". Can I say that I believe that the opposite
is almost always true, and if one were to truly scour through
the recesses of their heart, they would find that their coming
hasn't always been a sincere, coming-on-His-terms kind of
coming. Rather, I usually find that it's more of a "Lord,
I'm coming to you (but on my terms) kind of coming".
Truth be told, the Lord has been there waiting for so many
of His people to come meet with Him, but they haven't really
come, though they say they have - usually, He's really the
One who is waiting. I'm not sure He's the One that needs to
be found. Someone once said that if we have lost closeness
with or lost sight of the Lord, guess who moved?
Ravi has emphasized often that the sincerity of a man's
pursuit of God must precede the content of it; that INtent
is prior to CONtent.
[Friend], the darkest moments in my life came two years
ago when my father passed away. I was with him when he drew
his last. I don't know if you've ever seen life pass on right
in front of you but it is surreal and sobering. I can honestly
tell you, through the many tears that I shed, two anchors
in my life were confirmed: 1) that God is in control - I take
comfort in the truth that nothing, absolutely nothing, can
happen in this world or in my life without God first ordaining
it; 2) that God is good - to know that someone out there has
such control of things is a scary thought; what if that person
were evil or prone to lapses in character or judgment? Thankfully,
not only does that Person have such power but He always uses
it for good, because He is good.
Another thing I learned is in the toughest moments of our
lives, nobody can go where you are. It's just you and God.
It was great to have church friends support me; it was meaningful
to have my siblings with me; it was comforting to have the
support of my kids; it was vital to have the support of my
wife. However, when all was said and done, I was alone with
the Lord - no one could go with me there, not even Sandra.
Only He could go with me there, through His Word. It was there
that I was so thankful to have verses, passages, truths of
His Word sewn in my heart - to know that they were true and
that all would be well. (There is more I can tell you some
other time) His word is what God uses to bring clarity of
thought and of heart to us.
I pray that during this critical time in your life, this
potentially life-defining point in your life, that you will
flee youthful lusts and run to Him with all your might, through
the vehicle and mechanism that He has ordained for you to
reach Him - prayerfully through His Word.
Begin living by the will that you already know, that has
already been revealed to you. You never have to wonder if
doing that is His will. Let Him, in His own timing, reveal
to you the plans He has for you. Don't push Him to let you
in on it sooner than He needs to. That would be demonstrating
a lack of faith. Have faith in Him and don't challenge Him
by putting yourself in positions that force Him to deal with
you in ways that He wasn't planning to.
Lastly, something that has stuck with me in recent years
is the question, What characterizes a real man? I'm not sure
where I heard it - I think it was Dr. Dobson - but the answer
has stayed with me: courage. What really defines a real man
is courage; not some Rambo-esque type of courage or silly,
doing stupid things kind of courage, but courage to do the
right thing, no matter what's on the line, especially if it
is self reputation or pride.
Perhaps the answers to your search are already known. Perhaps
not. I pray, though, that when found, realized, or acknowledged,
you will not hesitate to do the right thing.
Anyway, I'm not sure if this is all too blunt for you, and
don't think I'm accusing you of anything - I'm not - but I
am sharing with you some things I've learned and seen over
the years.
Please let us know if we can be of help to you.
Blessings to you,
Arthur
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