One of the things I have had to get used to as a pastor here in Fayetteville is the fact that most people who attend the church will only be with us for a few years before they inevitably move on to their next assignment. While I have gradually reconciled myself to viewing Providence as a “sending ministry” it doesn’t make the process of constantly saying goodbye to families and individuals whom you have grown to know and love any easier. If I could keep everyone here at Providence I would, but I know that’s impossible and that part of my ministry here will involve saying goodbye.
What makes saying goodbye to families whose spiritual wellbeing I care deeply about easier, is knowing that they are moving on to another church where they will be receive excellent spiritual care and will continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So when a family comes to me and says, “we are moving here, can you recommend a good church in the area?” it is always a great relief when I can. Unfortunately, the opposite sometimes happens as well, a person will ask for a church recommendation and I’ll have to admit that after searching, I just couldn’t find one. This may surprise you, but there really are places in the USA And certainly abroad, where you won’t be able to find a solid church. And here I am not just talking about finding a strong Reformed and Presbyterian congregation, I mean there are some places that are literally so spiritually dark you won’t be able to find a biblically sound evangelical congregation within driving distance.
When the Devil goaded Jesus to change rocks into bread during his temptation in the desert, Jesus answered the deceiver with a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3: “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” (Matt. 4:4) In that reply Jesus reminds us that God’s Word is more vital to us than the very bread that we eat, and that without it, we face the very real possibility of spiritual starvation.
This is an important thing to remember because often a family will decide they must move to a certain area for reasons related to economics or career advancement without first determining if they are moving into a spiritual desert. After they move, those families will sometimes discover that there aren’t any strong churches in the area, and end up spiritually languishing for several years. If someone had suggested to that family that they move into a real desert where they will not be able to find much food to eat, and will end up teetering on the brink of physical starvation, they probably wouldn’t have even considered it, and yet many will make the move into a spiritual desert even though God’s word tells us that that the bread of heaven is just as essential to our wellbeing.
My advice therefore would be to do whatever you can to ensure that any move you make is into an area where you know your family will be spiritually fed and nurtured. This becomes an especially critical priority during the trying times when husbands are called away due to deployment, going TDY, or training. I realize that making the spiritual health of your family might mean turning down a particularly advantageous promotion or posting, but if that promotion cost you your marriage, or results in a child growing up insufficiently prepared to face the world’s inevitable assault on their faith, would it really be as profitable as it seemed? As Christ’s earthly ministry began to become unpopular, following him became less easy, and at one point after many of his followers had left him Jesus asked his disciples “"Do you also want to go away?" to which Peter wisely answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Let us therefore take the advice of the apostles and strive to stay close to our Savior no matter what the cost.
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