Hello everyone!

Welcome to this month’s installment.

This month’s column comes in the midst of another transition for me.  Transition is something we will all experience many times in our lifetime. For most of us change is not always an easy thing to deal with, however, it is something we will all experience.

In my present situation, as the new worship leader for a very small church, I have experienced many changes that have been, to say the least, very challenging. After taking lots of time to pray and seek the Lord for direction and also taking the time to seriously consider what it is I am looking for in terms of a church, I have decided that it is time for me to move on.

This decision was agreed upon by both my wife and I. We both feel the same way. Although there have been several challenges in working with the new worship team and many difficult situations to deal with, I have learned quite a bit. I choose to take what I have experienced in the relatively short time I have been part of this small church, and learn from it. 

For me, this will be the shortest period of time I have ever been part of a church and then moved on. It has been roughly 4 months. Without going into specifics, it is very clear to us that it is time for us to make a change.

My encouragement to everyone who is in a time of transition, especially one involving changing churches, is to be sure to seek the Lord, pray, look for confirmation, then be obedient to what the Lord is telling you to do. Yes, it can be hard to leave a situation, especially when you are beginning to get to know people and become familiar with things, but it is more important to obey what the Lord is telling you to do. He knows better than we do, he is God.

It is also important to us, to make a smooth transition as we move on from this place to another. In a similar way, as when changing jobs or companies, it is important that we don’t burn any bridges, especially as believers who are all part of the same family of God, we should all the more, seek to act in love towards one another. We look forward to seeing where the Lord will place us next.

Until next time, keep on worshiping the King!

JB 

[Ed. Note: There is also the aspect of learning that sometimes we make decisions that are not aligned with God, in that we moved according to a belief that God was directing our steps in a given direction. We learn only after the fact that the information, the belief, was flawed – for whatever reason. The important part of this kind of situation is to recognize the reality, and that God is telling us we took a bad step, and correct the error on our part and restore our obedience to His will.

In some instances, we move according to the Lord’s direction, but the time we are in a situation is intentionally limited by God for a reason. In such cases, it is often that we were brought into that situation to affect a change or to minister to someone in need – and then move on to the next “assignment” the Lord has in store.

I myself belonged to a wonderful church for just eight months. I was a welcomed addition and had been given the task of leading the worship band by giving them a firm foundation and clear direction in how to structure worship – and also to remove people who were a disruptive element, which I was sadly tasked with doing in one instance.

Then, suddenly, the Lord literally moved me a thousand miles away to a new state and city because my work at that church – even after just eight months – and in that city (five years) as a whole, was finished.

Transitions come because the Lord is in charge, period. We are His servants and we must respond to His direction and instruction, no matter how much we love the situation we are in (as I loved that new church!). When our work is done, we must accept it and ‘move on’ to the next job the Lord has in mind. And that means sometimes we move away, we leave a job, a church, a city, a state…even a country.

And it is here I think Romans 8:28 applies most clearly:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

So, whether we mistakenly take steps believing it is the Lord’s will, or are obedient, in both cases, if we truly desire to serve God with all our heart, He will turn our circumstances around, continue to direct us, so we are inevitably moving forward in His purpose and will for our lives.

And that means transitions are going to be a regular feature of most of our lives.]