A recent favorite song Beyond Belief I freshly rediscovered sung by Petra and have really liked since begins with, “We’re content to pitch our tent when the glory’s evident; seldom do we know they glory came and went.” The meaning originates when the people of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years and moved the tabernacle. When the presence (or the song’s reference glory) stopped, they stopped and set up the tabernacle. When the presence moved, they moved. This also comes from Numbers 10:34-36 and Exodus 33:14-16. A New Testament reference additionally comes in from John 1:14 (emphasis added), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” In short, if we are obedient people of God, when God compels us to go or move or proceed or speak in whatever it may be applicable then we respond. And when God compels us to stop or stay or don’t speak, then we ought to obey.
The new year is upon our threshold. Often people make promises or resolutions. We will do this; we stop doing that. The new year is a symbol for new beginnings. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” and the first half of Revelation 21:5 says, “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new…” Isaiah 43:18-19 says (a promise spoken from God), “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” And try as many people do, we try to implement the changes and embrace the new year that awaits. Sadly for many of us, our old self continues into the new. Habits that have become our character, no matter how much we ignore it or detest it, continues or comes back. We may have pockets of new but virtually the new year is not much different than the year we left. We can find ourselves then regretting our old year and as time marches on, we quit looking forward to anything new.
Williams Web Solutions began January 8, 2007. It was an opportunity full of promise. It was uncharted territory—like when Abraham set off in Genesis 12 and like Israel when they left Egypt. I remember the next day early in the morning after acquiring our DBA and purchasing the domain name, I got on my knees and prayed but mostly it was me giving the company to God. I distinctly said, “this is Your company and You do whatever You want with it”. Admittedly I have seen miracles happen and were recipients of God’s blessing and/or favor (and not just money) time and time again. And I recall when I got too “big for my britches” I saw God’s hand withdraw and a season of humility came. But despite learning a number of things along the way—excluding new talents or job skills—somewhere and sometime a new year stopped being viewed in the positive. Stained by a year (or years) of set back, promises made by potential customers and not kept, clients left, clients wanted something beyond what was in contracts, clients wanting me to look the other way while they did something illegal or immoral…And even excluding the company, the past couple of years or so have been one personal financial set back after another with us spending or giving more money out sometimes because of something we did or neglected to take care of but often because of someone else and we had to step in. This became a constant tail chasing with us falling further and further into setback. For businesses from about the middle of November until sometime shortly after the new year, IT work (for me) often slows down to where work and money is grasped by fingernails. Except retail and maybe restaurants, that is usual for lots of businesses. The hope, of course, is that a company knows these things and plans ahead by saving money and then downsizes staff or offers employees vacations to help cut down overhead. But with Williams Web Solutions being my wife and I, I cannot necessarily fire or push down either one of our roles. Planning ahead has never been successful because sales/income is never set or consistent. There are times where there is a lot of work and times there is nothing. Bills come in constantly but there is no pattern or seasons of money coming in, so planning ahead is difficult when one year to the next even month to month is never known or determined. Literally it is each day is a new day of work/money or nothing. Further, relationships that should not be strained got strained because one person pushed too hard and too wrong for too long without me manning up and saying “you’re wrong”. And instead of it being over, ill feelings kept growing to pollute my thoughts, attitude, and poisoned things said.
Now I stated the immediate afore information not to get people to worry or to feel sorry for us or to throw some kind of a pity party. But a nagging thought came to me recently and perhaps had been there before but ignored because of frustration, stress, etc. and that thought or question is “has God moved” or as the song said, “seldom do we know the glory came and went”? Not saying that God is done with me or Williams Web Solutions or that I’ve backslidden and fell out due to sin. But whether in marriage or ministry, we get so used to pounding the pavement as it were, that we take God’s presence and His involvement for granted (like we can in marriage concerning our spouse, our friendships, or our ministry). We assume that because we show up, God shows up. Because God doesn’t utterly destroy or a major tragedy doesn’t occur or some obvious sign to indicate we are in the wrong, we must still be tight with the G-O-D. So was God silent in this? Was God yelling His head off and I ignored Him or couldn't hear His voice? I don’t know. But woe to me if I’ve gotten too comfortable—again, this isn’t a matter necessarily of compromise or sin—that the charge or verdict from God like the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 is, “Nevertheless I have this against you [Robert], that you have left your first love.”
So what is the response? How does the ship get righted? Is it “must work harder” and so I need to burn the midnight oil? True, I do need to get things done better or quicker with Colossians 3:23 being my guiding principle. Is it give or do more for the church to appease guilt? Certainly my attitude got stained—and it didn’t help any during the building project—it has carried over with the combination of work stress, family stress, financial stress, and doing more than what can be done by my time and/or abilities. In short, I took on more on my shoulders than what should have been carried or at least shared with Jesus, especially attitude.
But where should a Christian find their answers? Prayer, yes. But also in the Word. So what does God say? Revelation 2:5 (emphasis added), “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…” And Isaiah 43:18, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.” So what do I need to do? First, stop allowing what happened last year and the years before to continue to stain and strain my relationships with others. In short, stop rehashing and wishing that something else could have been said or done or that others should have behaved differently despite the relationship or their title. Repent. The past is the past and nothing can be done about it. Whatever it was—despite maybe written in stone—is the past. But I do NOT have to continue and carry those thoughts and feelings. Jesus said new, and that means a new and different path, not the same path but new day. Additionally, just because clients and potential clients didn’t follow through doesn’t mean to stop trying. The fire that once was in my eyes and the hope of God should very much outweigh and outshine the bumps, lessons, and scars obtained along the way. Spending what needs to be saved or spent elsewhere needs to occur, and all parties involved need to get on board. And whatever areas of sin or compromise was there, then stop doing it even if it feels natural or had been done for years or a life time. New means new.
2025 will be a year of change, growth, and fruitfulness. Not because “ok, I’ve figured out where the bolts and nuts need to be tightened” or “kick out bad relationships and embrace good relationships” or “ignore everyone else and take care of number one”. But allow this new year truly be new. Others may not change. I cannot change that. I am not in the place of God; meaning that is something between God and them if/when/where they are wrong then they’re wrong. And if I need to address it, then address it and if I need to remain silent, then give it to God and be silent…not let it bubble in me until there becomes a problem later. What can change is me, and sufficient enough is that.
So Jesus, let us make some phone calls this week to see what websites I can design. And may I pay attention to God’s glory/presence when He moves.