Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday May 18, 2007

Every now and then a note, a news article or something comes across the desk and renews your faith in the Lord and His people. For some reason I am considered by many to be a man of understanding and even power. They haven't talked to the little wife!! As a result of this perception I receive numerous letters etc about the "dirt" within the ranks of professing Christendom. The below excerpt from a letter is not the norm and it brought tears to my eye as I know the man to be one of the most sincere servants of Christ I have ever known:

"Not easy for me to say this. I am not going to try for the opening you have mentioned. I took the church through a very tough year last year. Early in the year (2006) we had some reorganization meetings. We had to come to the point where we recognized that if this church did not have the facilities to do anything for the Lord, we were wasting everybody's time sitting on this corner playing church. Well, the building has been built. We are going to have about $50,000 indebtedness hanging over us. If I were to take a full-time secular job at this point, I'd be forced back into the same pathetic struggle to keep from tumbling into the abyss of a physical or emotional breakdown while the church coasted. If I resigned this ministry, I'd be able to have a much better home, car, lifestyle, etc. But I'm fearful the church would once again fall into another period of decline while they sought another pastor, and go under because of their debt. I cannot in good conscience do that to them. So there it is. I'm either going to have people sneer at our old cars and broken-down house in this life, or be ashamed before Him at His coming. I'm not much, but I am His, and He wants me to be about His Father's business. Thank you for the consideration."

It is unlikely that you will read this note or anything about it in the New York Times or even the Sword of The Lord. Why? Because most papers write about news and news is for the most part a deviation from the norm. For every scoundrel you read about in the big papers, there are thousands of men who live and love Jesus like the man in the above letter.

Paul would not fit the ideal modern minister model. Can you imagine someone living as did Jesus, with no regular place to lay His head? Even the foxes were deemed better off by the world of His day and of ours. If Jesus tarries, a hundred years from now the little country church written of in the above note, well be a jewel set in a pastoral setting. Folks will drive by and marvel at the faith of the people. It is doubtful if mention will made of the sacrificial lifestyle lived by the man of God who made the difference. I have been to the church, preached in it and I assure you the pastor's car is the oldest, his clothing the plainest while the group of saints enjoy the benefits of a gorgeous new building while driving the latest status symbols. It is unlikely a plaque will give mention of his name. Yet in the beautiful place where scars are measured as status symbols, where old rags are the measure of love for Christ, his life will be on display as a model of sincerity seldom mentioned in this world today.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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