Nearly 4 months ago I had a man ask me “if I asked you who you are, what would you say”. I thought it was the weirdest question in the world and I didn’t understand what he was asking. He asked me again “who are you”. I told him that I was a father and a husband. He looked at me strangely, and then I answered it “I am businessman who helps people in their companies make more money and be more profitable”. Again, he was silent. I told him I didn’t know what he was asking me, and his response was very simple; “that is why you are in this nasty predicament you are in”. I will never forget how rattling those words were to my soul. So, what was he actually asking me?
Who I am In Christ
What Pastor Rick was asking me was did I know who I was in this world as it related to being a supposed so-called Christian. The valid point that he made to me was that I was not putting Christ first in anything that I did and therefore when he asked me who I was it was impossible for me to say I am a Christian, I am a lover of God, a father, a husband, then a businessman. My identity should be in the Lord first and was not. And that’s why I became frustrated because I was foolish enough to believe that I could control other people‘s thoughts, actions, love, and decisions. He took me on a walk through the first two books of Ephesians and told me that I was not a failure, hypocrite, or an unfixable, unlovable human being but instead according to God in Ephesians I am:
Blessed by the lord
Adopted into the family of Christ
Chosen by Christ for good works
Forgiven of ALL of my sins because of the blood of the lamb.
Sealed in love and eternal life.
Loved Unconditionally no matter what I’ve done in the past.
Saved From the Wrath of God
Child of God Made in His image-A New creation as a work in progress with God.
Over the last four months my pastor has helped me to understand that I never truly trusted or believed in God the way I felt like I did or the way God intended. I never repented for all my sins. I never made God the priority part of my life. I never prayed with my wife about important decisions. I never prayed with my kids when I was frustrated with them, instead I yelled at them both when they didn’t act the way I wanted them to. I didn’t forgive people the way I was supposed to and therefore God was unable to forgive me the way he promises. Pastor Rick helped me completely submit my life and every single part of it to God and immediately things began to change in my life. I’ve had people telling others that I “should never see my children again” . I’ve had people saying that I can’t make money and that I’m a complete failure even though I’m living in one house on the water in FL while I own a second house on the water that I can’t even be in. God is so good! In the past 2 months, I had absolute miracles happen in my life while I was in the hospital, in my business, and now in my personal life with my kids. If I was one of these people betting against me, I would think twice because I have the favor of God for the first time in my life and he will protect me and provide for me. The Lord has fought harder for me in the last two months than every before now that I am not even trying to defend myself. It has been a completely liberating and joy filled feeling. I don’t deserve it but God’s grace is mighty.
In summary, what I have learned is when you fully submit yourself to God in humility and worship, you will find that he will rise up and defend you (Isaiah 54:17). He will perform miracles for you that He was unable to do for you before (Matthew 6:15), and He will give you the desires of your heart in accordance with His will (Psalm 37:4). I have resolved to stop worrying because I know that whatever happens to me or for me will be used to prosper me and not harm me (Jeremiah 29:11) and that God will do all the heavy lifting for me along the way if I trust in Him, stay humble, keep from sinning and use The armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) to defend myself instead of my own words or actions.
