God is Our Provider

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Like you, I’ve heard and seen Christians say and do some weird stuff over the years. One of those concerns is hard work, resourcefulness, and human ingenuity. Too often, I’ve heard Christians say things like these are “man’s ideas” or “human philosophies” and stand pat or not think deeply about given subjects or ideas.

The story from Genesis 30:25-43 is a story about this very thing. The Lord is the provider. But the Lord gave Jacob wisdom, expertise, and resourcefulness to breed his flocks. We find this throughout the Bible. David’s building projects, Solomon’s Temple build, weapons of warfare that God’s people invented, and governmental laws were all given by God and done by the people of God. One of the hallmarks of Christianity is the freedom of thought, invention, and resourcefulness that it brings.

So, as Christians, we believe that God is our provider. He provides us with our brains, ideas, and resources to be used for His glory and as a way for Him to provide other things.

Some reject this by saying that work is part of the fall. It’s important to realize that work was not part of the fall. Hard, toilsome, and painful work was part of the fall. We, as Christians, have been redeemed by Christ to work hard with the gifts He’s given. We should find good jobs, work hard at them, be creative and inventive, and trust God with the results.

“Get a job”

Sunday, I made a comment that needs clarification. In 2 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul says, “Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” Sunday, I said that a Dave York paraphrase is “shut your mouth and get a job.” I knew the moment it came out of my mouth that I would need to clarify this comment, and I shouldn’t have said it this way “off the cuff.”

Here’s what I meant to say: Paul’s point in this text is that we are not to be lazy, and where there are jobs available, we should get one. Usually, lazy people complain and are loud people. So when Paul wrote this, there were lazy Christians waiting on a handout who were not willing to work to earn their own living. They were mooches. Sadly, there are times when I’ve heard and seen the same thing from Christians in our time. My point about “shut your mouth and get a job” is that often, Christians won’t go out and get available jobs because they’re waiting on a job they deserve or one they feel qualified for. They complain about not getting a job yet won’t do what is available. Then, they get upset at God for not providing for them.

My questions for them are:

Are you willing to work?
Are you willing to work in a place that seems “beneath you?”
Are you willing to take a job to meet your bills even if it’s not ‘ideal’?

One example of this was a dear friend who worked with me at Umpqua Valley Christian School. He taught full-time, but the pay at UVC wasn’t enough to cover his large family’s needs. So, three nights a week, he delivered pizzas for Dominos. No one knew it. I didn’t realize it until a few years later when I offered him a promotion and UVC, which allowed him to stop working for Dominos. I learned a lot from that dear brother. He quietly did his job(s) and served his family.

The Lord Knows What You Need

When I first started in ministry, I was a youth pastor at the church I grew up in. Ovilla Road Baptist Church graciously paid for my college education as part of my salary. Once I graduated from college, I fully expected the church to give me a substantial raise. However, after the yearly budget came out, they gave me a tiny one, and my salary was still $1000’s below what the previous youth pastor, with no education, made.

When the pastor called me into his office to tell me of the small raise I would be getting for the next year, I decided to air my grievances with him. Our church had a Personnel Committee that made the salary recommendations to the Budget Committee, and I told my pastor that I wasn’t getting what I deserved.

His response taught me a lesson that I still apply. He asked me, “Do you believe the Lord knows what you need? He will provide what you need through your work and your employers.” He then told me that I could take it or find another job. I loved what I did and was convicted about my unrighteous anger. I was more qualified than the guy who I replaced. I was more educated. But I shouldn’t have responded so angrily. I apologized to Nick and decided to be content with what I was offered. The Lord, indeed, knew what I needed.

Three days later, Nick came into my office to inform me that before our meeting, when I angrily appealed to him, he had already asked the Personnel Committee to reevaluate my salary. But my response to their first decision led him to believe that I didn’t need to know that he was already working on it. However, since I had responded well to his confrontation, he wanted me to know that they were giving me a substantial raise, and it was very close to what the previous guy had made.

Now, what I learned has helped me through the years. I learned that God knows my needs, and He’ll use my work and employers to provide for me. I learned that if the salary wasn’t what I hoped for, then I needed to be guarded about taking things personally or responding angrily. I learned that it’s not wrong to ask about it as long as I’m not angry or am not asking out of ungodly motives. I learned that manipulation and unrighteous anger never accomplish what God wants.

Let me add one last thing about this: I realize that what I do for a living is different from what most people do for a living. And I know that the people making decisions about your pay are different from the ones who decide mine. But I do believe the heart issues are the same and very similar. Do you believe that God knows what you need?

The Opening Ceremonies

Others have said quite a bit about the Paris Olympic Opening Ceremonies so that I won’t add too much of that. However, I will say that it’s pretty obvious that The Last Supper was depicted in a way that was neither God-honoring nor God-fearing. Drag Queens re-enacting The Last Supper is a mockery to the Lord, and He will not stand pat on this issue.

But I want you to pay close attention to the fact that if the roles were reversed, with Christians mocking drag queens to an international audience, there would be a massive uproar. The hypocrisy that’s on display in our world shouldn’t surprise you. Sexually deviant groups can mock Christians, but if Christians call them to repent, we’re doing a social disservice. People call for tolerance, as long as they can be as intolerant to whomever they wish. This will become obvious to all at some point. The AP even reported that the Opening Ceremonies didn’t just push the envelope; they disintegrated it. It’s already started.

Finally, do not let this distract you from serving your King faithfully and joyfully. We can see something like this and spend our time on social media blasting it or being outraged. We can angrily accuse others and be self-righteously judgmental. But we need to realize that sin blinds people and leads them down roads of destruction. We shouldn’t be shocked. We should be grieved and compassionate. Further, we should be confident that the Lord will not be mocked, and He will bring condemnation on these types of things in His time. So, pray for these folks that they will see the light of the gospel and turn to Christ. And don’t respond in unrighteous anger but be convinced that our God sits in heaven, laughs, and is not threatened by any of it.

Looking Ahead

This coming Sunday, we will study Genesis 32-33, looking at how God reconciled Jacob and Esau. We have the same time restraints as this past Sunday, so we’re attempting to be done by 11:30.

From the Cheap Seats

The MLB Trade deadline is Tuesday at 4:00 EST. It should be interesting to see who makes big deals.
I will say, the Summer Olympics without baseball and softball…well, you know where I stand.
I found this quote by Dan Campbell (my favorite NFL Head Coach), the head coach of the Detroit Lions, to show how he thinks: “We don’t live off reputation, we live off of work,” Campbell said Wednesday. “And that’s what’s gotten us where we’re at. It’s been a long, hard road to get to where we’re at right now, and there’s a price to be paid, so we’ve got to pay it again. That’s the message, and it will always be the message.” He’s a team that’s been a mockery for the past 50 years and has been building with Campbell for the last three years. They made it to the NFC Championship game last year, and there’s more work to do in his mind. He’s a unique leader.

Have a great week! Christ is King!

To watch or listen to the sermon described in this post, please click here.