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EVERYONE WHO HAS GIVEN UP HOUSES OR BROTHERS OR SISTERS . . .
By Bob Seymour
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“…. everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return
and will inherit eternal life.”
I’ve been told many times by well meaning believers and friends that I’m supposed to go back east and return to my family because they need me.
No one knows more than me how difficult it is to leave everyone you love and everything you had to follow the leading of the Spirit. When I left my comfort zone and walked away from everyone I loved and all I had almost everyone tried to convince me that I
didn’t have to leave but in my spirit I knew it was what I had to do.
When I decided to leave it all behind I felt fear and guilt trying to keep me from following “my gut”. For months I wrestled
with telling my family, my friends and my congregation that I had to resign my position and move on. It was one of the hardest choices I ever had to make but I knew that I knew I had to do it.
I fought
against fear of the unknown and guilt for over a year but I was determined not to allow anyone but God to direct my steps. I was an emotional wreck and I felt doubts about my decisions for almost a year but there was a still small voice in my spirit speaking
peace to my mind.
When the surrealness that surrounded my mind began to lift I was able to see my situation more clearly and I was able to pray with my understanding and with specificity. It was at that time
when the Lord led me to read the passage above from Matthew 19. When I read those words Jesus spoke I felt all of the guilt and fear lift off my shoulders and peace flooded my spirit.
There are still times when
I question the decision I made and there are still well meaning people who try to convince me to stop “running away” from the pain and retire with my family but that isn’t what I feel the Spirit saying.
To be honest I long for a place to call home and to have someone to share life with but until or unless the Holy Spirit opens those doors I cannot stop. I love my family and friends more than I can articulate but I love Jesus much more and I have
to follow wherever He leads….
Now whenever the thought of quitting what I do begins to enter my mind the words of Jesus above bring peace to my mind and spirit. There is nowhere in the scriptures that
says that anything about retiring from the calling on my life to go out in the world to reach the lost and wounded who have been rejected by the church….
Jesus also told us that there are too few workers
in the fields so we have to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more because the harvest is ripe and full. The souls of the people He leads to me or me to them are more important to me than spending my remaining days with my family and friends. I will
have eternity to be with the people I love but today there are many people who need to hear the gospel so they can also inherit eternal life with God.
The passion in my heart is to take the message of hope
to a lost and dying world and I am willing to pay any price and to lay down my life and if necessary to sacrifice all I have to take that message where it is needed most. “How will they know unless someone tells them….” Here I am Lord, send
me….”
By Bob
Seymour