By guest author Don Nelson
Wow, what a mess.
But it had all started so well.
I had been seeking the Lord for direction in my business. (I flip houses for profit.) After some heartfelt prayer, I was convinced the Lord was calling me to scale up the business and number of deals I was doing. I was seeking victory in business and life.
I found several deals and simultaneously sought out additional contractors and crews to do the work. Fast forward a few months, and work hadn’t commenced yet because of regulatory hurdles. Still, I pushed forward, assuming God would supply.
F
ast forward several more months. City requirements forced me to engage directly in management and hands-on work because I was struggling to find anyone I could rely on.
After many more months of pain and losses, the Lord allowed me to sell off the last of these “money-pits” that started off as good deals.
This season of difficulty and stress had all started off with me seeking the Lord. “For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV).
Discipline is not a negative thing; in fact, it is evidence of the Lord’s love and care. I believe the Lord needed to open my eyes to something about myself and other human beings, that I might grow into the man He wants me to be.
I’m not done absorbing the Lord’s discipline, but He’s given me a small view of the escape He’s providing. It turns out that the fruit of this season will be worth far more than money I anticipated gaining from deals. Here are just a few realizations I’m having:
- Waiting on the Lord works! I can’t even solve what look like simple problems, sometimes. There were many times in the last year when I just didn’t know what to do. But the Lord intervened directly and substantially, to rescue me.
- I lack faith. When the money ran out, I was having trouble sleeping. I just didn’t trust the Lord as much as I thought I did.
- My worldview was wrong. I had a lot of “head” knowledge about the Lord, but there were many areas not tested by fire. The Lord’s help is not nebulous or theoretical. It is practical and tangible and direct.
If you’re in the midst of a struggle, follow my lead and get disillusioned. That is to say, lose your illusions! See God as He is:
- He is good
- He is faithful
- He cares about your character more than your money
- He will provide when you can’t
- He doesn’t need your help
And Jesus really meant it when He said, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, NASB).
About the Author
Don Nelson is a father of two boys and married to his wife of eighteen years, Trish. He serves on the advisory board for AME. He pursues many facets of business, usually involving real estate in some way, and has been in that industry since 2003. To find out more about him, his family and his economic pursuits, visit: www.nelsonfamilyeconomy.com.
