Matt Chandler is a well-known pastor out of The Village Church in Dallas. I have written about him here before, as well as their worship pastor, Michael Bleecker. He is a man who God has used very mightily over the years, impacting many lives including mine, including my brothers, and including many of my other friends. Last week, Matt had a seizure that landed him in the hospital and yielded the diagnosis of a brain tumor. There is a video on the church’s site where Matt walks through the last few verses of Hebrews 11 and reflects on his life so far which has been richly blessed. He constantly preaches that to know God is much greater than anything on this earth, but naysayers could have easily pointed at his amazing life in an attempt to discredit his message. Because how can a man who has been so circumstantially blessed claim that God is good and greater than anything else? But here stands a man who could literally lose everything in an instant (that instant being the brain surgery where they would remove part of his right lobe!) and he stands on the same claim with the same hope and the same joy, despite the fear and uncertainty he is also experiencing.
I often feel as if I am in the same place. My wife: incredible; my baby: freaking amazing; my friends, church, job, house, car, musical equipment and talent, health, and so many other things in my life: couldn’t be better! Life certainly has its challenges, but I live in with a great amount of joy on a daily basis. Sometimes I reflect on this and expect my world to come crashing down any minute. I pray all of the time for Jude’s health in fear that something terrible might happen. While these fears may be irrational, it is certainly true that the “good times” won’t last forever, I know because I have experienced life when this wasn’t the case.
So I’m reflected and thinking and praying. God is reminding me of how much He’s blessed me and it is begging the question, why? It certainly isn’t because of anything I have done, there is no doubt about that. Why? I don’t know. But what He expects from me, I think I am realizing more and more. As I experience such an overflow of blessing, I need to pour it out on those around me. Who am I to hoard his blessing? What a wasteland I would be if that were the case. Instead, I want to be mightily used by God. I want to love and encourage those around me with the love and encouragement that has been poured out on me. I want to be open handed with what I have been given. This thought process seems to be hitting at the perfect time in my life. Not only is the Christmas season approaching and we’re going through the Advent Conspiracy series at church, I also have many friends around me who are dealing with not-so-happy circumstances. All around me are broken relationships, hurting souls, doubts and questions, emotional pain, physical ailments, and more. I want those around me to know that they can come to me or Beth with anything, whether it’s prayer, conversation, a place to stay, a car to drive, financial needs, a shoulder to cry on, or whatever.
If you are in a similar place as Beth and me, see if you can figure out how to pour out blessing into the lives around you. If you are struggling, find someone who you can lean on for encouragement. Every one of us should pursue the truth that Matt speaks of below, that God is good!
Here is the link to the video (might have to turn up your speakers): http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/blog/hvpastor/?p=363
