- 1. God provides - this one comes to mind 1st, probably because if it weren't the case, I wouldn't have very much to write about. Blogging also doesn't feature very prominently on maslow's hierarchy of needs, and so clearly we still have a roof over our heads, and food in the refrigerator. I guess it's easy to take something for granted when you play by the rules. The fact that my idea of generating income outside the city, was to sell motorized bicycles and grow vegetables, is testimony to the fact of God's providence - given that neither of these brainwaves earned a single cent! In this case, my good intentions really had to be enough for God to work with, because there wasn't much else in the offering basket!
- In practice, I have been blessed with two 18 month contracts which I have been able to fulfill as a business mentor and glorified off site administrator, on my terms, and in my hours. In truth, the most perfect work solution that I could never have orchestrated. Let me add, that having a contract, has not always meant having money in the bank, and so the number of times God's providence (through a combination of friends, strangers, SARS, and other unlikely sources) has carried us through (in the most unexpected ways), is simply actually the fulfillment of God's promise, to provide for his kids... Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (that you need to live) will be added to you."
Lesson 1: God loves faith, honors His Word, and always provides.
- 2. Time is key - shortly after arriving in the south, God reminded me of one of the reasons we had initially decided to move... Time. That is, my desire to own it (rather than sell it), and to invest it (rather than squander it). This ultimately translated into a step of faith by electing to take a Friday 'Sabbath'. i.e. no work, no pay, plenty rest, plenty pray. (That rhymed nicely didn't it). But the truth is, what this redirected investment of 1 full day a week has brought into my life, over the past 3 years, is difficult to exaggerate. Quite simply, it has been life transforming, mostly because I've been able to allocate the time required to use and explore many of the talents, gifts and resources God has entrusted to me. There's a lot more I can say, and have said, about taking a Sabbath here:http://walkervilleadventure.blogspot.com/2016/10/its-about-time.html?m=1 - Suffice to say, it can only ever be done in faith, and is intended to supernaturally refresh / rejuvenate our spirit man.
- My parting thought on time, is that it's the great tester. That is - as is the case with money - what we spend our time on, is a much more accurate measure of what we desire and believe, than what we might think or say. It truly is a tragic day for anyone, most especially a believer, when we have run out of things to do with our time. For the needs of people have never loomed larger, and the love, creativity and resources of Christ to meet these needs, have never been more abundant.
Lesson 2: You don't find time, you make it, you don't lose time, you waste it.
- 3. God Protects - moving out the city definitely caught us off guard. Not that it was unexpected but wide open spaces, with lots of dark places, is the stuff an over active imagination feasts on - especially when mixed up with farm murder headlines, and our no handguns household policy. Sure we've had some stuff stolen, but it was just stuff, and no one has ever entered our house who hasn't been invited. The move outside the city, also enabled us to face a fear so many in South Africa live with on a daily basis - crime. By face it, I mean we were left with no other option, other than to rely on God's protection. Let me explain...
- The farm we initially moved on to had a broken electric fence, with our homestead having no alarm, no dogs, and no weapons. To be honest, I don't think we slept for the 1st 3 nights at all. It took me 6 weeks to build up the courage to sleep on my (preferred) left hand side, knowing my right (exposed) ear doesn't work as well as my left ear. But it was during this scary period, that we were left with no choice but to trust God for our protection. Does that mean we're immune to violent crime? No, I don't think we're immune to anything that God can use for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28), but I do know He hears our prayers and orders his angels to take care of His kids. Three years later, we now have dogs, alarms and an armed guard on the farm, but that's just precautionary, because God has already shown us where our help comes from (Psalm 121).
Lesson 3: God loves courage, protects His kids, and commands His angels.
- 4. Master Money - When I think of Jesus ministry there are a couple things that specifically stand out for me. One of them was his attitude toward money, and His teaching about money. In fact, I recently wrote another blog post on this topic in a bit more detail here - http://www.called2conquer.org/c2cblog/wealthy-to-be-or-not-to-be - however if you'd prefer the executive summary, please read on... The bottom line? Master money, because if you don't, it'll master you (and it's a very cruel master).
- Dannean and I are blessed, because as much as we come from 2 families who are at polar opposites (in almost every respect) on the money spectrum, we have been able to unite in our approach to taming the money beast. In this regard, there are 3 cornerstones to our money philosophy, which have been tried and tested these past 3 years. They have not failed us yet (not even close!).
- Maintaining a meticulous and faith-filled budget - meaning every single cent is accounted for, and faith is clearly evident in how we spend / allocate it.
- Sow with our heart, reap with our head - simply meaning to try and give away what we don't need, to those who do. Granted there's a little more to it, but I'll write a separate post about this shortly.
- No debt - this may sound impossible, but it's not. Who said you can't rent, or buy a 2nd hand car? And if you can't afford it, accept that God doesn't want you to have it (and if you can, be sure that your neighbour doesn't need it more than you do...)
- Currently, we rent and have no plan to buy. This means that we are not limited in anyway by bond / bank related financial responsibilities (and you might be surprised to learn that renting can also be a more profitable option than buying - http://www.stealthywealth.co.za/2016/10/is-it-better-to-buy-or-rent-and-why-we.html). My current car was a gift from my father (so that doesn't really count), but we have no accounts in credit, although we keep a credit card for cash flow purposes. Holidays are 'cheap' because they're almost always at our friends' or parent's place, and we still camp, which remains arguably the best value for money in learning how
not to killto love your kids and still enjoy our amazing country. - In conclusion, money has the power to define our lives - that's why Jesus spoke about it so much. It is strong and deceitful enough to easily muscle you or me right out of God's Kingdom if we're not really careful. Managing a budget, giving it away, and avoiding the banks golden handcuffs, are key weapons in slaying the beast.
Lesson 4: Budget, with faith, give loads, pay cash.
- 5. God leads - I always thought it was me who was supposed to lead. Not that God had to follow (although I'm sure I'd have no problem with that), but rather that I needed to have a plan, and that plan needed a man, and no guessing who's the man. For example, I have drafted 2 relatively comprehensive vision documents over the past 3 years, and distributed them quite liberally, hoping and expecting my 'followers' to emerge... Well, this hasn't exactly been the case. In fact, my only real 'followers' currently are my wife and kids (and that's because they have to be!). Not to say that there's no merit in what I've envisioned, but rather a very good lesson... And that is...
- It's one thing to theorize, contemplate or debate a subject, but it's another thing entirely to actually put what you believe into practice - that is to walk our talk. In other words, if I really believe what I'm spouting, then what am I actually doing about it? I've come to learn that God leads in practice, not in the classroom, He leads on His terms, an not on mine, and He loves to know how much of my talk I'm actually willing to walk? Which brings me to my current walk, and...
- Called 2 Conquer (C2C) is a vision for a different type of church, but in keeping with the New Testament definition of Church, this presupposes a vision for a different type of Christian... Anyway, you can read all about it in the link below, but suffice to say, I've had to move beyond the theory of a different kind of Christian, to actually sweating / becoming it myself... In reality, it's mostly about getting back to basics, and trusting God at His Word - which is really the story this blog is supposed to tell. A story of finding freedom and significance beyond the status quo, that is walking with God by living lives of faith, rooted and grounded in the love of the Father, and the promises of His beautiful Son.
Lesson 5: Write it down, dare to walk it, maybe someone follows (or maybe not)
Part 2 follows here>>>
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