Now What?
Chad Jacobson - Senior Pastor - City Church Live
Now What?
Over the course of my life I have made many moves; some strategic, some emotional, some physical, some mental (my family might say this is the move of choice for me). I often find myself in the same place asking the same question, “now what?”
Hebrews 8:8-13
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
I can distinctly remember two times in my ministry life when I was ready to throw in the towel. Funny enough, they both came after some of my greatest victories in ministry, not my greatest defeats. As youth pastors in Green Bay, we had put together a city-wide youth event. I had organized a well-known band from Australia called the Planetshakers to play and one of my great friends in ministry, Jurgen Matthesius, to speak. We had a packed house – nearly 2,000 young people in two separate meetings. To my knowledge, this was the single largest youth event in the history of that city. By all accounts, a huge success, and after it was all over I was ready to quit. I found myself facing this same question, “now what?” For the first time in my life I didn’t have an answer. I was confused, I felt alone and I had no direction: A recipe for disaster for anyone in ministry. This was the first time I had actually achieved something that I had prayed and worked for, and it scared me. Not because of what God had done, but because I didn’t know what to do next.
I am constantly challenging myself, partly because of my youth and partly because of my personality, to keep moving forward. I am rarely satisfied, just ask my staff. The motivation of my life has become this question, “Now What?”
I don’t want to run away from tradition and history, but my prayer is that I will never be caught “growing old…ready to vanish away.”
Chad Jacobson
Chad,
I call those times “the aftermath of a great moment!” I see it in Elijah when he run’s to the cave after defeating the prophets of Baal. He was ready to call it quits. I see it in every Super Bowl Champion team it is so hard for them to repeat. Your question: “Now What?” is truly the answer because vision is the answer to where do we go from here. So thanks for spurring some thought in me to keep vision ahead of my leadership
Mike Hooper
Mike Hooper - May 21, 2009 at 12:11 pm |
Thank you Chad for sharing. This is so true when we pour ourselves into a ministry project. Whether or not I felt the event was successful in my eyes. I sometimes felt like Elijah standing at the dark cave entrance, asking myself “what am I doing here”. But just like Elijah at the cave I must learn to completely trust in the calling that God has placed upon me for a renewing vision. For God was not in the wind, earthquake, fire or all the noise of the day, but God was in the silence of my heart. So just like Elijah, God asked me “What are you doing here ” get out of the cave and reach out because there is an Elisha needing to be called. Vision is us pouring it out through our personal walk and our ministries, because God has placed us where we are for His defining moments.
Kevin Hayes
Kevin Hayes - May 21, 2009 at 3:28 pm |
Chad
Thanks for the honesty.
Spurgeon called it “the dark cloud of success” I think.
So, true. Accomplish something for God and the enemy
comes in to take away the victory. We must not let him steal the sweet taste of
our victories for God by making us feel like a failure. Let the Lord use it to keep us humble and look ahead at the next victory we can gain for God.
Was it Churchill that said “never,never,never surrender” in his famous speech to the students he was speaking to?
So we must stay fresh and fired up for the next great task God has for us.
Praying for you in Utah,
Ed Staton Sr.
Ed Staton Sr. - May 21, 2009 at 5:15 pm |
I can identify with the delima you have faced. I know the times I’m tempted to quit. Even after victories little things can be such a major irratant. In victories there are sacrifices made that are seldom acknowledged. It’s ease to get on a pity party until we remember that all the glory must belong to the Lord.
You’re “what’s next” is a great reminder to keep things in perspective that we are a part of His Kingsom and not our own.
So, keep on keeping on there in Utah knowing that you are not alone and He who leads us will reward.
Dale in Arizona
Dale Ray - May 21, 2009 at 7:49 pm |
Chad’s reference to his youth reminded me that at any stage of life, our walk with God will not allow us to stop asking “now what?”
At 74 years, the challenges in ministry will not allow me to stop asking for a clear view of God’s path.There is so much to be done that every waking thought is about obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit and walking in obedience to His leading. THERE ARE NO CROSSROADS IN THE LIFE OF ONE WHO WALKS THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
Walt
Walt Eckstein - May 22, 2009 at 12:43 am |
Wow Chad. Thanks for sharing your heart. I have also asked the same question “Now What”. This is what God gave me. It’s not for me to wonder “Now What God”, because he knows the “Now What’s” for me. Once I have finished that one thing he wanted me to accomplish, he has another project on the back burner ready for me to start. It’s God who can satisfy us. He’s our Bread of Life. Keep pressing on!!
Lena Lazo from Culver City, California
Lena Lazo - May 22, 2009 at 11:49 am |