Support

When my fiancé and I attended Chico State College in north-central California back in 1973-74, I was supported by my folks.  They paid for my tuition as well as for my residence in the dorms.  The only thing I had to pay for was gas and recreation.  It was a great time in my life.  I basically had no responsibilities except to attend class, do homework and have fun with my future bride!  I was a Recreation Administration major and held a “B” average.  That kept my folks happy and allowed for a lot of freedom.  Basically I lived a life without worries or cares!

Well, that lasted for one year until I decided not to return for my senior year in order to start a photography business with a friend.  I returned to College about five years later with a more focused determination to get my BA so that I could continue on to seminary in order to pursue the calling I had clearly received for ministry.  My original plan to finish up my degree at Sonoma State Universtity in the neighboring city of Rohnert Park within one year expanded into two when the pressures of work, a new family and school became a bit overwhelming.

When I went back to school I was on my own.  I had to support myself as well as my family.  I did apply for and receive a small grant to help with the school expenses, but I still had to pay for everything else.  My wife had just given birth to our first child and we had previously decided that she would not return to her job but be a stay at home Mom.   To put it mildly, that period in our lives was not as carefree as our first time at College!

During the first semester I was working my photography business around my class schedule and performing my responsibilities as a Youth Minister a few days a week and on Sundays.  On top of all that I carried sixteen units toward the completion of a degree in Psychology with an adolescent and family emphasis.  The next semester I added a new full time swing shift position at Hewlett-Packard into the mix!  That semester I reduced my class load to eight units followed by six and then four for the final three months.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (KJV)  I found it interesting and similar to my school experiences in that keeping one’s mind “stayed” on God is not just staying focused on the things of God, but actually having your mind, your thoughts and your imagination “supported” by God!

When I went to Chico State I did not have to keep my mind focused on God while I dealt with my finances, I didn’t even have to think about them because my parents were doing it for me!  The second time around I had to personally deal and be concerned with everything because I was self-supported.  It really wasn’t as tough as it sounds though, as we knew that we were in God’s perfect plan for our lives at the time and He did help us abundantly… but I think you get my point!

Once we figure out that God wants to support us in every endeavor of our lives and we yield EVERY part of it to Him, His support takes over and we have no reason to worry any longer!  My wife and I have been trusting God for our lives since before we were married, but we made a deeper “hands off” decision when I followed the Lord’s leading to quit my management position at The Home Depot so that we could fully depend on Him and His resources and His plan for us in the healing of my wife.

He is our support.  He is the one that supports and guides our every thought especially when things don’t look like they should!  When we face alarming symptoms our first thoughts are not directed by what we see, but we lean on Him in order to deal with what’s happening before us as HE sees it!  That releases us from worry and allows Him to “watch over my word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12 MKJV)

So what would you rather do?  Be self-supporting and carry the full load on your own, or yield your life over to Him and keep every thought, every action and your vivid imagination fully supported by Him?  When I worked at HP our computer systems were all supported by an in-house tech support group.  Whenever there was a problem all I had to do was make a phone call, stand up and get out of my chair and let them sit down and perform the fix.  That’s the way I like to do it with God.  I give Him a call in prayer and then step away so that He can take over and perform His fix!  What do you think?

Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting to SUPPORT MY LIFE today?”