Who Will This Year Be About?

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

In my preparation for our spring series on the book of Galatians, this verse has been hitting hard with me. Six days into the new year, I have also been doing a lot of thinking, reflecting on the past year and wondering about what is to come. And with it comes this question: who will this year be about? Will it be about Matt Brumfield? Will it be about my accomplishments? Of course, if it is, there will be a reason behind doing those things. Already I have the tendency to stop and ask, will doing this upset this person? How will this help or hinder my relationship with this person?

I have to stop and take a step back. I have to realize this year cannot be about me. It cannot be about trying to make every family in the church happy with our ministry. It cannot be about connecting with everyone I want to in the community. When it comes down to it, it must be about seeking to follow God. That in each and every thing I do, it is done for Him, because I know it will please Him.

Jesus didn't make people happy. In fact he made a lot of people unhappy. So why should I expect that in following Him everyone will be happy with me? There are some already who really want nothing to do with what I have to say, what I believe in. We have ties, some of them family ties, others deep friendships, but when it comes down to my God and Savior, they want nothing. I can't make them happy. There are some who have a mindset of a certain way to "do church," of a certain opinion of what things to talk about or not to talk about. I can tell you honestly, I won't please them. I am not one who holds to a "there are things not to talk about." While I may not bring them up, if a student is going through something, or is faced with a situation, I don't hold a "don't talk about it just read your Bible" stance. I take a let's talk about it and then examine God's word and see what he has to say.

Post-rant about why I will not make people happy - This year I pray that my focus is kept on Christ. That I will not do things to gain the approval of men. This got me nowhere, and it will honestly get you nowhere. If you live for man, you die to man, empty, void, incomplete. But if you live for Christ, die for Christ, you gain everlasting life with our Heavenly Father. Who knows what this year will bring. Let us bring to it hearts longing and seeking to serve God.

In Christ,

Brummy

A Post for Parents

Let me start by saying I have no idea what it must be like to be a parent. But I know what it is like to be a child, to be man, to be a sinner, in desperate need of the grace of God. I know how much I tend to project my desires of what other people should be onto others. I may be doing that in this post. But I write in hope that this is only my heart, which is being wrenched from within me, crying out as I survey the community of North Canton and surrounding area in which God has placed me. He has placed me in this role, he has placed me here to guide. He must be the one guiding because without Him I am completely blind. Yet I look and see, see how often our personal tendencies project through. Parents, this is heartfelt from one who has experienced this personally as a child. And yet, this is also a message of hope, for a God who has restored the broken and frayed relationship I had.

Is your child loved because they are your child? Or are their certain things you really require of them for you to love them? Do they have to play sports? Perhaps it runs in your family, perhaps you were captain of the swim team, perhaps you are a marathon runner. Have you let these things define you in that it must also define your son or daughter? True, we all desire good things for those we love, but the best is Christ. And what if we must surrender these things to make room for Christ? Will we ourselves do it? Will we allow our children to do this? To make the choice to surrender these things?

Well, that's not how it works. They need this to get into this college...They need to be involved in these social clubs to get a good career. If these are the responses we make, that I make, I need to step back and ask whom I follow. Who my life is about. We must also stop and think about how our words impact those we love. While I trust you will still love your child without them doing these things, I hear stories of students who fear that if they do not do this, their parents will no longer have a reason to love them.

I sat on the bench of a court, watching my buddies play basketball for numerous years. I was on the team and not very good. And to me, I thought I had to be, had to at least play. Because it was then my dad loved me. Some sit and wish their parents were at a game, while perhaps you are busy at work, wanting to buy your family all the things your dad couldn't afford. Yes, things are nice. But honestly, when I get to this point in life, it is time I look back and wish I had more of. Was I happy for that gameboy where I logged hours playing Pokemon? Sort of. Do I wish I just had more time to go hang out with my father, back when I was still a child. Yes isn't a strong enough word. Do I wish I knew and could tell myself how much my father did love me. That his words were misunderstood by me, that I didn't have to be the best at sports.

Parents, my desire is you would spend time with your child. That you would love them for more than the sport they play, the grades they get. As Christ has loved us. I know I have no idea of what it means to be a father, but my heart breaks at the thought of making the mistake of trying to define who my child is outside of anything but Christ. The day I try and make my child live out what I wish I was, or what I think would be the best other than what Christ has made them to be, is the day I have failed. And I will fail. But I challenge myself, I challenge you, if you are truly in Christ, to love as Christ loves. To let your son or daughter know they are so much more than their grades, their athletics, what school they attend or what college they get in to, or what career they have chosen. For these things are worthless in the grand scheme.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." - 1 John 3:1

In Christ,


Brummy