Had a great discussion concerning “About Faces” last week. In this pic we did not know that God had a huge direction change for our family coming in less than a year! Within two years we would move from our four bedroom colonial in a suburb of Detroit to full time ministry in West Toledo. So many of the Hupomone men and women throughout history have also had those “about face” moments. Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, Mary, Paul all had those “about face” experiences. In some cases like Paul, God turned them around multiple times throughout their lives. I would like to make some observations about these life changing events.
- These functional changes in direction for us do not mean that somehow God has made a sudden change of direction. While it is often very difficult in the moment to see the linear direction of God’s plan for us in the midst of great change, God is our ultimate example of Hupomone. He is completely steadfast and unchanging in character, activity and plan. Even as we are executing an extreme change in direction we can take comfort in the fact that we are simply moving forward in God’s plan for our lives. If we truly grasp this truth the massive changes we experience suddenly become less imposing and threatening. In fact we can embrace them as an expression of God’s love.
- These changes in direction are powered by God’s loving, divine purpose for our lives. While they never indicate a change (because he never changes) in God’s character, they most certainly involve changes in us as we mature towards truly having the mind of Christ. It is important for us to examine ourselves as we move through changes in direction to see not only what God has for us functionally but also how he desires to impact us in our very character and in our relationship with Him and with those around us.
- Anyone who has sailed knows that changing direction is a tricky business. It needs to be planned out and executed with precision. Failure to do so may find one’s sails aback and one’s momentum lost. The heavier the seas the more dangerous our situation can become. When we sense a major change in direction coming it is important that we wait on God and not try push the change through on our own. It is also important that we do not balk at God’s direction. Continuing the sailing metaphor He will guide us through the coming about maneuver. When we react to the change with pride, thinking we can push through on our own or with fear and refuse to steer the course then we risk missing the divine wind of the Holy Spirit. The good news is that our Hupomone God is always ready reset the sails and take us through the maneuver again (and sometimes again, and again) but how amazing it is when we follow and catch the Holy Spirit strong in our sails.
- Finally this kind of directional change is a direct result of your relationship with God. While God can provide guidance through those around you, if someone is trying to mandate or manipulate a major change in your life you need to carefully measure it against Scripture and against your relationship with Jesus Christ. It is only through that relationship and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that God’s Hupomone qualities will shine through.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
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