For several years I have felt that I was being obedient and faithful to God but He was not returning the favor. I prayed and tried to do what God was calling me to do, but the fruit of my labors just weren’t what I was expecting. Everything was too hard with minimal results.
When I expressed my frustrations to my wife she suggested that we sit down and write out some of the ways God has been faithful over the past ten years or so. Specifically she suggested that I list everything that has happened that was apparently God working in my life, things that I had no obvious control over.
As the list grew to about ten things, I saw the obvious pattern. Nine out of ten cases involved people and relationships. The vast majority of instances where I saw God working in my life involved Him bringing people to me that I didn’t expect. He brought new friends in unusual ways, He brought people that would solve problems, and He brought people who would encourage and teach me at just the right time.
My frustration with God, in every instance involved material items; things that I knew were only temporary in nature. His work involved permanent things like people, relationships, and truth.
I knew that God’s priorities were people and that material things are only secondary at best. God will provide all our needs, but I was still expecting to be rewarded with luxuries and the result was frustration.
The long list of wonderful people in my life makes me embarrassed that I ever doubted God’s love and faithfulness to me.
