DISCLAIMER: Guided by Grace does not own the rights to this song, Movin’ On by Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music.
*This blog post is inspired by a sermon entitled “Movin’ On” in a sermon series entitled Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Travious Mitchell (that’s me).
It’s been a minute. But we’re back!
2021 has left me feeling like Will Smith standing in the middle of an empty living room on the last episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s time to move on. A lot has happened since you and I last spent time together, so let’s get to it.
Six months down. Half of the year has come and gone and so much has happened for better and worse. I finished up my first year as a first grade teacher, well a virtual first grade teacher and despite the challenges and second guessing, I love my job. I finished and passed my first year of teaching residency program, I finished up my first year of seminary and the second semester with a 4.0 GPA. You’re hearing it here first, but I’m in the process of writing a book—well, two. Come next month I will be getting my own apartment and the countdown began months ago. I’ve learned the importance of budgeting and finance, being a faithful steward of my money, and I’ve already paid off two credit cards. I’ve been doing the doggone thing on some ends, but others? I’m not too braggadocious. There have been some moments of celebration and feasting in 2021, but this year has offered moments of mourning and fasting. I experienced a loss at the beginning fo the year that crushed me. While I am succeeding in seminary, I am confused on whether I want to continue in the Christian Counseling program or switch to pursue my Masters of Divinity (MDiv). One cold, crisp Saturday morning in March I was awakened by a deafening fire alarm; I live on the fourth floor of my building and looking out the patio door, my apartment building was on fire. I’m currently battling a specific health issue where doctors do not know is wrong with me or if there is any help that can be offered. (Please put my name in your prayer journal.) My faith has been challenged to such an extent I wanted to hand Jesus my spiritual pink slip and walk away. I wanted to be done with this Jesus thing because life was getting to be too much for me—loss, heartbreak, confusion, misunderstanding, crisis after crisis, this year has been brutal. Then I realized, “Where else can I go but to the Lord?” The ultimate lesson I’ve taken away from 2021 is to change my prayer life.
I’m praying for closed doors because it’s time to move on.
During my time this year of reading throughout the Bible I camped out in Genesis for some time. I’ve always been amazed at the story of Noah. Now I take for granted that you’ve earned your degree from Sunday School and you know about old man Noah—the guy who built a boat in the middle of the desert and called all the animals two by two, the ox, the camel, and the kangaroo, that Noah. The Noah story has always fascinated me because the story doesn’t make any sense. Was it really a global flood? If so, how do you explain Genesis 6:4 that states that the Nephilim (the bad guys) existed in the days of Noah and afterward? How could the entire world be flooded by continuous rain for forty days and forty nights, when the mountains of Hawaii can receive measurable rainfall for more than 200 consecutive days? How did all those animals fit on that boat? The beauty of God is that the truth does not and will not always make sense.
While there are elements of the flood narrative that may not make sense to modern humans, there is an important lesson within the framework of this story. God calls Noah to build an ark because He is going to destroy the earth with a deluge. The reason being creation has become wicked in His sight (Gen. 6:7). The next verse states that Noah found grace with God. This does not mean that Noah was innocent, Noah’s righteousness does not mean he did not do any wrong—grace is reserved for the guilty. God in His wisdom chooses Noah and his family to continue the human race by escaping the deluge in an ark, along with a selection of animals. In due time God commands Noah to enter the ark because it was time for Noah to move. Noah entering the ark symbolizes the beginning of Noah’s transition from the old order of things to the new. The confirmation of this transition comes in Genesis 7:16, which has become one of my favorite Bible verses: “A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then Yahweh closed the door behind them” (NLT, emphasis added).
Yahweh is the God of closed doors.
Closed doors are security, hemming in whatever is on the inside from whatever is on the outside. Outside the ark was the wrath of God, destruction, wickedness, an old system of living that met its day. On the inside was grace. A sign of a mature prayer life is to pray that God would say “No” to what is not His will in our lives. Praying for doors to be closed by the hand of God signifies a trust arguably deeper than the praise of an open door. When God shuts the door behind us, it’s time to move on. 2021 has been an ark for me and God has shut the door behind me to three specific things:
(I wouldn’t be a Baptist minister if it weren’t three points, right? 😉 )
1. I’m moving on from being faithful to things that don’t work for me anymore.
Many of us unfortunately call our defense mechanisms faith. We are faithful to what worked in the past, thinking that is God’s will in the present. (For some of us the things we naturally do but call faith never really worked anyway, it allowed us to hide and feel secure when we were afraid, and it can be validated by “wise” counsel.) As we mature in Christ our faith must change. What if the reason we continue the cycles and circumstances we do is not because we’re in toxic situations, what if God wants us to do things differently? What if God is offering us the freedom to move on from allowing our voices to be silenced, walking in fear of conflict, avoiding, ghosting, not having these difficult conversations? Our avoidance will never lead to our deliverance. August 14th will make five years that I have been ministering. I received my first offer to preach when I was thirteen, but I was terrified. I didn’t believe in myself and I avoided it by using faith language: “I’ll pray on it,” “I feel like the Lord…” “I don’t think it’s my time.” It is surprisingly easy to mask fear with faith. I’ve always felt the call to preach on my life from the literal beginning. On July 3, 2016, my pastor called me after church and told me he wanted to get me started with preaching before I went off to college. I was excited, but I fell into my usual trap. I told him I’d pray on it. Immediately after the call I felt the Lord say, “Why do you pray when I’ve already given you the power to do this? Just do it.”
Today makes five years that I finally said yes to the call on my life. I finally said yes to the thing I’ve prayed for, fasted for, asked for advice on, and it’s been the best decision i’ve made in the last five years. I stopped running from it and ran to it.
2. I’m moving on from ungodly expectations.
Expectation is a thief. It robs us of reality and leads us to living in a fantasy that once unrealized we live under the cloud of disappointment. When our expectations aren’t met we lash out at God. The narrative we feel like we’ve been hearing from God changes because circumstances do, based on unmet expectations. Maybe that thing is God’s will; maybe what isn’t God’s will is how we approach it. You will always receive what you expect. If you expect more of the same thing, that is, more time than not, what you will get. Expectations aren’t bad, expectations we place on ourselves and others that we can only find in Jesus is idolatry and ruins relationships. I am guilty of this sin far too often. I expect the world to run based off a system of cause and effect; if I do this, something particular should follow. We don’t always reap what we sow. Thank God! God rules the universe not with justice but wisdom. Instead of expectations, we should walk in wisdom with ourselves and others.
3. I’m moving on from people and situations that make me feel what is not true about myself.
This one is tough because some of the people who hurt us most are the ones we love most. I’m moving on from people who give up on me, who do not see my efforts, who only tell half narratives, who cannot communicate or at least try. I’m moving on from ghosting, arguments, and situations that do not offer redemption. The truest things about me are the words in red: I was lost but now I’m found, I’ve been invited to the King’s banquet to celebrate in His goodness. I am deeply loved, which means Travious Mitchell has worth. I am worthy of someone not avoiding me and calling it faith. I am worthy of someone sitting down and having tough conversations with me. I am worthy of being loved how I should be loved. That’s my inheritance as a son of God.
Living by grace is not easy, ask Noah. His entire world was changed because of grace.
So what are you movin’ on from in 2021?
Epilogue:
WHAT IS GUIDED BY GRACE MOVIN’ ON TO?
I’m excited to be back with you. I’ve truly missed this. I’m back to posting blog posts every saturday at 9am, a psalm on Wednesdays at 9am, and once a month I’ll be publishing a devotional. In addition to getting back to posting, one of the goals for Guided by Grace is to connect people. This involves hearing different voices from different perspectives from Christians of all walks of life. Some blog posts will be from other Christians who are passionate about a variety of topics relevant to the Christian life such as environmental awareness, finance, relationships, women in ministry, counseling, and much more.
Beginning October 3rd (and this is my favorite) I will be preaching here each and every Sunday at 9am. If it be the Lord’s will at some point in 2022 we will have guest preachers on the blog as well.
Lastly, in early 2022 we will be incorporating Bible study here on the blog, and perhaps on zoom for a livelier experience with one another.
I’m excited to see what the Lord does here on Guided by Grace. Thank you for being here, please like, comment, share, and subscribe.
Until next time, continue to stay guided by grace,
Tra
Guided by Grace 