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"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:13-14)
To move forward is a choice. You can do one of two things in a crisis: you can step forward and get busy doing what you know is right, or you can step backward, cocoon, and become isolated and focused on just you and your problems.
One of the things we have tried to do as a local church during this pandemic is to be outward focused: first, we wanted to minister to our people, and second, to our community at large.
We have worked hard to meet the needs of our own people. Paul said in Galatians 6:10, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Our household of faith is Great Hills Baptist Church. Next month, I will have served as the pastor here for 10 years. Thank You, Lord! God has been so good to Ashley and me, and we are grateful to Him and the people of God for all their kindness and patience. God has allowed our church to pray for, help financially, serve, and minister to our own. We called every member on our membership rolls (or at least we tried). Our adult Connect Group classes have recorded record numbers. Our giving in receipts is actually up from last year! We have not missed a Sunday proclaiming the Gospel, and we rejoice in all the good things God has done.
We have also pressed forward in our ministry to our local community and partnerships abroad, like the one we have in India. We have provided hundreds of meals and even more hundreds of care packages to those working on the frontlines of this pandemic crisis right here in Austin. I am so proud of our church. Some reading this may be tempted to say, "Don't hurt yourself patting yourself on the back!" I have learned as a pastor that it is easy to be so driven that we forget to slow down and thank God and our people. I don't want to do that anymore. So, thank You, Lord and the people of God!
How grateful are you today to God and for your local church? Have you taken the time to express your appreciation to the Lord and the church family He has allowed you to be a part of? There's no time like the present! Being grateful is such a powerful way to lean forward and not become static, or worse, slip backwards.
Take a moment and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God, and then send a text, email, or an old-fashioned letter to your pastor or another spiritual leader who has ministered to you during these hard days. Trust me, it will make you feel better, and it will surely bless the person who receives it!
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