So I was planning to go into a local neighborhood and share the gospel with everyone that I came into contact with. So I gathered the guys and we walked into a place foreign to me to share the gospel. However how did the rest of my day go as I was leading up to this event. Well let me elaborate, So it was a Wednesday morning and when I woke up I was so pumped because I knew that what we were going to be doing later that evening was going to be so amazing. However as my day wore on I became more and more stressed just with everyday things. On this day though these normal everyday stresses seemed to consume me in a different way and I became extremely discouraged. I was planning to meet the guys at Starbucks at 4pm, so I left my house so that I would not be late, but when I got on the roads the traffic was so HEAVY. Like insanely HEAVY, I knew that I was going to be late and it just added to the stress of the day. I just didn't like how my day was going and I became weary of going to share the Gospel because I just had a feeling it wouldn't go well. So I got to Starbucks late and I didn't have time to pray or read before the rest of the people got there which again added to this feeling of we are getting set behind and were going to be so late. So we chat at Starbucks and I go over the plan of how to ask questions and spark conversation. We then go back onto the busy road where the traffic is hardly moving. then guess what... It begins to rain, good ol' Florida. So let's go ahead and add all the stress of the day so far together. School stress and anxiety + Traffic + Being Late + Rain = Frustration. We haven't even hit the hard part yet, can you imagine. At this point I know the devil really does not want me to go into the neighborhood, because of everything that he was throwing at me. So we decided to stop by the church on our way so that we could park there so our cars had a place to be. We picked up some gospel tracks and Bibles, then as we are headed out of the church, we get stopped and asked to go help construct some tables for that night at youth. Normally I would have done that, however on today I had a goal in mind and after all that I had been through there was not anything that could stop me from completing my task. So we kindly declined and FINALLY, we walked into the neighborhood. The obstacles did not stop there though, even in the middle of the sidewalk there were giant cracks and they had them cautioned off with the police tape. The first thing I thought was that this was the devils last stitched effort to stop us from going into the community. We walked up to probably our 8th house and knocked on the door and no one was home. So we walked down the sidewalk discouraged and they pulled right into the drive way, just as we were walking away from their door. We shared the gospel with them and they came to know Christ! EVERYONE IN THE CAR!
So why did I tell you this story? Well lets deconstruct it for a second. If the traffic had been just a little bit lighter of even a little bit heavier, then guess what we would have not been able to catch them pulling into their driveway and then they would not have come to know Christ. Or if someone wouldn't have stopped us to ask us to go build tables then the timing would have just been a little bit off, and we may have missed them. Do you see where this is going? Gods' timing was perfect! There was nothing imperfect about it. With out Gods beautiful timing we would have not been able to share the Gospel.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven
So instead of getting angry because of your delays, thank God that he is providing them for His ultimate glory!
Can God take our sin and use it as part of His plan? Well lets just take a look at one of the most famous people in the Bible beside Jesus, and that is Paul. Paul was murdering Christ followers and eventually came to write half of the New Testament, God surely worked through Him! Don't limit God, people often say, I sinned too much for God to work through me. My reply is just NOOOOO! It's the complete opposite, God works through you because you have sinned, that was the point of JESUS! So don't be discouraged, we live in a world that seems so discouraging and hopeless, when in all actuality we have the best hope ever and that is written in the gospel.
Be blessed
Vic
Check out my blog at;
www.grace-nation.com
So why did I tell you this story? Well lets deconstruct it for a second. If the traffic had been just a little bit lighter of even a little bit heavier, then guess what we would have not been able to catch them pulling into their driveway and then they would not have come to know Christ. Or if someone wouldn't have stopped us to ask us to go build tables then the timing would have just been a little bit off, and we may have missed them. Do you see where this is going? Gods' timing was perfect! There was nothing imperfect about it. With out Gods beautiful timing we would have not been able to share the Gospel.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven
So instead of getting angry because of your delays, thank God that he is providing them for His ultimate glory!
Can God take our sin and use it as part of His plan? Well lets just take a look at one of the most famous people in the Bible beside Jesus, and that is Paul. Paul was murdering Christ followers and eventually came to write half of the New Testament, God surely worked through Him! Don't limit God, people often say, I sinned too much for God to work through me. My reply is just NOOOOO! It's the complete opposite, God works through you because you have sinned, that was the point of JESUS! So don't be discouraged, we live in a world that seems so discouraging and hopeless, when in all actuality we have the best hope ever and that is written in the gospel.
Be blessed
Vic
Check out my blog at;
www.grace-nation.com
