Struggles are inevitable in this earthly life. The current day is no exception. Many churches lack pastors, do not own a church building, and worry about unity, all of which presents itself in my life right now. It is hard. Uncertainty invades your thoughts: “Who is going to be our pastor? Where are we going to worship? What will this do to our congregation?” You long and strive for some sort of security and stability when all seems to be falling apart.

In the past several months, my pastor fell quite sick. He didn’t preach for a few weeks, but we expected him to be able to return soon. A few weeks turned into a month. A month turned into two months. Through those weeks, I got a glimpse of not having a pastor, but I still felt the security of having a pastor. It didn’t cross my mind that he might resign. My pastor finally did resign after his illness prevented him from preaching week after week. His resignation brought increased uncertainty for the future. At that point, I joined the many wondering who their pastor would be. I never knew what it felt like to ask each week, “Who is going to preach for us?” The constancy in which I put my trust was now gone.

During the past several years, my congregation has been looking for a new church building. I looked forward to a new building and how it would help our congregation. After quite a while of searching, we sold our building. The new owner let us stay in the current building for a time to look for a new building. Many possibilities came and went in the search for a building. As the deadline moved closer to leaving our building, my expectancy changed into anxiety. It felt as though there were no more options and no place to worship. I lost the security of a pastor and building in perceivably no time.

We become more susceptible to the temptations of the devil in times of change. In light of this, I worry about divisions or decrease in numbers. Whether or not my concern is well grounded in reality, I can think of several examples where this is real. I used to think there weren’t any divisions or arguing in my church. I was wrong. We are not the perfect church. Thoughts of disunity sprung from the loss of both pastor and building.

Suddenly, all the security I found in the church vanished. Sundays have always been my favorite day of the week, but I felt anxious going to church. I looked forward to having our building and pastor. I thought, “If only I can fill some of this uncertainty, I won’t be anxious.” My reliance turned to this world, to a stable building and a consistent pastor. I lost sight of the loving, eternal, unchanging, and sovereign God. No man or building can take the place of the security found in the creator of the universe. The security I sought was empty.

These trials have redirected my reliance back to God. All of us will be tempted with earthly desires and worries. It is so easy to lose sight of God when life is easy, and then wonder where He is when it gets hard. God will always protect and have union with His people. We must find our security and stability only in God and nothing else, for this world does not satisfy. The entirety of Psalm 28 is applicable now, but I will highlight verse 7:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”