“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24

This past weekend was such a wonderful surprise and a time of affirmation for Pam and me. In case you didn’t know, the elders secretly arranged for a special recognition in the worship service and then an all-church picnic in celebration of our 15th anniversary at Grace Life Community Church (May) and our 25th wedding anniversary (June). Maybe it’s their military background, but the elders were COMPLETELY successful in their covert operation. Code named “Operation Mendenhall,” after the Juneau, Alaska glacier that Pam and I hope to tour on our upcoming anniversary Alaska cruise, the elders managed to arrange for the recognition, the picnic, and a soon-coming love gift to our family…all off the grid and without anyone in our family knowing. Amazing! Now that’s skill. Thanks guys. That means so much! And thank you, church family, for your generosity and support. It’s great to serve with you at GLCC.

A recent LifeWay study found that the average tenure of a pastor in a church is 3.6 years. After that, the honeymoon ends, the church tires of the pastor, or the pastor tires or burns out from the pressure of ministry, from conflict within his own family or the church, and then the whole cycle starts over for both the pastor and the church. I believe that God calls us to a different standard by His grace and enablement…faithfulness. GLCC has always been different, and God has blessed our church with stability and longevity in leadership since our founding in the mid 1980s. The majority of our pastors have served way past the national average, and I am grateful and humbled to be a part of that line of faithful men. During the festivities on Sunday, I leaned over to Pam and whispered, “I hope that this is only the half-time show, because in my mind, we still have the 3rd and 4th quarter to play!”

In a much greater sense, we all are unfailing recipients of God’s faithfulness. He is the one who calls us to our various walks of life, relationships, calling, and responsibilities. And it is He that accomplishes the work within, in, and through us. It is all for Him and it is all about Him. And as we reflect on God and His faithfulness, it enables us to stick by the stuff through the good and the bad. Our faithfulness is merely an extension and recognition of God’s faithfulness to us. Has God been faithful to you?

Maybe you are in a tough season of life, in your marriage, in your career, in your home, or some other domain of life. Did God call you to that situation? If the answer is YES, then I’ve got good news for you. “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24