With God it’s always forward

By Rev. Daniel Overdorf
Pastor

I know life has ups and downs, but I don’t care much for the downs. I imagine you’d agree. We prefer the magnificence of the mountaintop to wallowing in the stench of the valley.

Sometimes we wonder, “What is God doing while we wallow in the valley?”

In the 1970s a little-known Christian psychologist published a controversial book about child discipline. The book caught the eye of talk show guru Phil Donahue, who invited the psychologist onto his Chicago-based talk show. It was such a great opportunity for Christians — to have a trained, articulate, bright Christian debating the liberal Donahue on television.

The show as a disaster. Critics said that Donahue made the Ph.D. in child psychology look like a child.

What is God doing while we wallow in blown opportunities?

A man in his mid-forties wakes up one morning and realizes he’s been a horrible father to his son, who’s now in college. He resolves to remedy the situation. The next weekend he drives four hours to campus, then knocks on the door of his son’s dorm room. He takes his son out for pizza. And he begins to talk. He almost chokes on the words.

“I’m sorry I missed all those ballgames. When you wanted to go camping I said I was too busy—I can’t tell you how much I regret that now. I realize I’ve been a poor father. Son, I want to ask for your forgiveness. And I want the chance to try again.”

The father goes out on a limb, lays it all out there.

And from his son? Silence. No hugs, no pleasantries, no forgiveness offered. Only cold, awkward, silence. Finally after several minutes the son whispers, “I need to get back to my studies.”

What is God doing while we wallow in regret?

The Bible tells about the ups and downs of Mark. As a boy Mark rubbed shoulders with important church leaders in Jerusalem. When a church commissioned Paul and Barnabas to undertake a missionary journey, young Mark went along as a helper. It was a great opportunity, but Mark couldn’t hack the travel. He got homesick and finally returned to Jerusalem.

Mark’s “desertion,” as the Apostle Paul called it, incensed Paul. Several months later Barnabas suggested they give Mark another chance, but Paul would hear nothing of it. After a heated argument Paul chose another missionary partner, and Barnabas took Mark on a separate journey.

This time Mark hung in there.

As months turned into years, Mark proved himself. Even the Apostle Paul came around. Several years later Paul and Mark spent time ministering together. Paul wrote of Mark, “He is very helpful to me in my ministry.” Later he penned what would become the second book of the New Testament—the Gospel of Mark.

Years earlier, on that first missionary journey, Mark squandered a great opportunity. But God kept working on Mark, in Mark, and finally through Mark.

His story puts flesh on a much-loved Bible verse: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). If you live for God, this verse promises, He will use whatever happens in your life to bring about what is ultimately good.

Or, think of it this way: Whether life is up or down, with God it’s always forward. God will use today’s experiences to take you where He wants you to be tomorrow. While we wallow, God works.

The day after blowing a great opportunity on Donahue, the up-and-coming Christian psychologist met with an advertising executive to discuss the possibility of a national radio program. In a tiny studio in Chicago James Dobson recorded the pilot broadcast of Focus on the Family, a program that is today heard on more than 6,000 radio stations around the world.

Whether life is up or down, with God it’s always forward.

And what of the father hoping to reconcile with his son? You’ll have to finish that one for me. That story is fictional, meant only to represent the difficult times you might face.

How will you perceive such valleys? Will you see the momentary setbacks from God’s perspective? Will you realize that what you see as failure, God uses as opportunities for growth? What you see as wasted time or effort God uses as valuable building blocks to develop you into the person He knows you can be. God is molding you. God is shaping you. God is at work.

Learn from Mark. Whether life is up or down, with God it’s always forward.

Daniel Overdorf is the Sr. Minister of Fayetteville Christian Church, located at New Hope and Hickory Roads in Fayetteville. He may be heard each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as a part of the church's weekly worship. Daniel may be contacted at the church office — 770-461-8763, or at fayettevillechristian@juno.com.