The Last Mile
Why am I sick? Why don’t I feel fulfilled? Why am I struggling through life? Have you ever wrestled with questions like these?
Life is hard, even for Christians, and when life doesn’t seem to be going the way we want it to or thought it would, it’s natural to wonder why. Is God upset with me? Did I do something wrong?
For many of us, it is easier to see our flaws than to believe that our lives serve a purpose. It is easier for us to ask forgiveness and accept correction from God than it is to believe that He wants to (and can) bless us even in the midst of our struggles. The devil has millions of Christians believing that they aren’t worthy of the blessings of God. And when bad things happen to us, it’s like an “I told you so.” But today God wants to exchange the devil’s “I told you so” for one of His own.
In John chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples came across a man whowas blind from birth. In verse 2, his disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
It may not seem fair that part of this man’s journey in life was to be blind for a while so that God could be glorified by healing him, but the man gained much more than his eyesight that day. He became a believer and gained eternal life (John 9:38). Have you ever considered that had his trials not occurred, perhaps he would have had his eyesight, but not his salvation?
Sometimes our struggles are indeed caused by our own sins or the sins of others, but at other times, they are meant to be a part of our journey so that God can be glorified and we can be blessed.
In June of 2012, my life changed. It started with God telling me to give my truck away to a stranger in a donut star parking lot. God then had me sell my shares and resign as Chief Operating Officer of one of the fastest growing IT firms in the country and go into full-time ministry instead. It’s been an incredibly hard journey. My wife and I moved from a place of comfort to a place of not being sure how we would pay the bills. But God has taught us to trust Him with everything. God has taught us to get up every day believing that we are “in the last mile” and the blessing is on its way.
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
The blind man in John chapter 9 had no idea when he woke up that day that a miracle would be done in his life. He had no idea that what he had longed for his entire life would actually come to pass. Jesus healed him that day and made a point to his disciples and to us — God has a plan and a blessing for each of us, but we must trust Him to receive it. It’s time to stop striving and struggling through life trying to make it what you want it to be. Your Father, the creator of the universe, wants you to trust Him and surrender control so that He can take care of you and show you the purpose and blessings He has for you.
The next time you’re in a situation where things don’t feel good, where you see no way out, and you need a miracle — dare to believe that you’re in the last mile. Live every day expecting the miracle, anticipating the breakthrough, acknowledging, trusting, and resting in the fact that God is and His promises are true. It’s time to let go and see the goodness of God.
Michael Phillips was once the owner and COO of one of the fastest growing IT firms in the country. But in June of 2012, in response to what he describes as a “calling from God,” he walked away from his business and gave his truck away to a stranger in a donut store parking lot. “I thought I was happy,” he said, “but it wasn’t until I went ‘all in’ that real life began.”
Michael’s story is climbing the best seller charts at Amazon, but he says the book isn’t about his journey. It’s about yours. Learn more and get the book at www.justchoose.org.
Baton Rouge Christian Life MAGAZINE
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