Lighthouse Keeper

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

One of the main challenges of the Christian life is the constant draw into church life or ministry or whatever you choose to call it. There is an assumption that “church work” or “church activities” are somehow superior to everyday life. 

I constantly get asked by people why I’m not in full time ministry and the simple answer is “because God wants me out and about”. I see Christians getting around in little “saint’s clubs” who don’t have any interaction with non-Christian folk from work to school and social activities. 

I was talking to a church person the other day who was having relational issues in a church environment. I said to them:

“Go and join the gardening club–you’re getting too church-y”. 

It wasn’t that well received but I really meant it. We are called to “let our light shine before men” (Matthew 5:16) and that’s all men (and women), not just the ones who profess Jesus. Echo chambers have destroyed our news media and information online and they can destroy our lives as witnesses as well. If you can’t be a Christian at the garden club, then perhaps your faith needs re-assessment. 

Please don’t think that being asked into church leadership or pastor roles or what I call “Christian-flavoured things”...is somehow superior. The apostle Paul is very clear that everything we do is unto the Lord. I can listen to Christian worship music on my daily river walks or I can listen to drum and bass music and all can be unto the Lord. There is no secular and sacred.

Now where people get tangled up is in Old Testament theology about holy objects and holy things. (Leviticus 20:7). We are to be set apart to be holy. In the New Testament, we are made holy and clean by the blood of Jesus so have the freedom to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). Being set apart is a position that you take as an image-bearer of Jesus and is not a call to be cloistered necessarily (I say necessarily because I love reading about the old monks and I have no doubt they were called by God into their fields) but my point is, you can give God glory in your everyday life without having to put on a cassock. 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1).  Yes your body at church but also your body at home or in the car or at the supermarket. Your everyday being human.

Do everything “unto the Lord” and you will find this worship is very pleasing and acceptable to God.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV).

For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hurries toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay long (Habakkuk 2:3 NASB).

I was at the supermarket this morning and two little girls saw some ice creams in the freezer. They were the fruity ones that went viral on Tik Tok with the little plastic case called Fruitae. 

“Mum, can we have one of those ice creams!?”

Both girls were super excited and jumping up and down pleading with their Mum to buy them one of the popular ice creams. 

I looked at their Mum. She didn’t say no. She could see that the Fruitae ice creams delighted her daughters so you know what she said?

“Yes… but you can’t have it now.”

It was nine o’clock in the morning and they’d probably just had breakfast. They didn’t need a sugary treat now. But she wanted to treat them so bought them for later. 

God does this for us all the time. He knows what we need and when we need it. His timing is perfect and often we want a quick answer and He has already given his Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20) but we just can’t see it. He is withholding a blessing because of HIs goodness and desire to delight us. Not to be cruel or hard hearted. 

When you go into the prayer closet, be confident that the Father has heard your prayer and answered in the best way and in the best timing. 

Though it tarries, wait for it. Because it will surely come. 

To ‘tarry’ means to wait like lingering at someone’s house after dinner or to stay longer than intended. Not rushing off. A delay. When the timing is right, it will not tarry and you will get your answered prayer. God’s delay is not God’s denial.

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (Psalm 37:23 NLT)

When I first became a Christian at 23 years old, I was terrified of the call of God. I have a degree in Mandarin Chinese and I was certain that God was going to call me to be a missionary in China. I liked my life working in sales for an ice cream brand and my company car and my sunny rented unit.

Thankfully, God is kind and loving and knows that’s not for me. Many times I have made dramatic displays of my commitment to the Lord and offered my life on the altar. These often happen in the middle of blessing when I’m sure the grace will run out because my life is so good. They have also come at times when I’ve been completely lost in a storm and had no idea what’s next. The voice of God usually answers the same way:

“Stand”. (Daniel 10:11)

You’re exactly where you need to be. I see you. I’m in control. I’m ordering your steps. (Psalm 37:23). 

Sometimes we can fall in love with the idea of looking at other saints and thinking our lives have to be like theirs. Looking at Smith Wigglesworth or the Apostle Paul or Thomas Merton or Moses can lead us to start designing a ministry that we think will please God. It’s not bad (we’ve all done it), but as Christian life goes on I’ve always been shocked at just how fitting and perfect my life is when I stop to smell the roses. The anxiety comes when we get “works” focused and think we need to do great things for God. He’s already done the greatest thing for us on the Cross and there’s no need to try and impress Him with your servitude and dedication. God sees your heart and religious displays often morph into false humility and trying to force the hand of God because you’re not sure what’s going on or you’re bored and seeking a Damascus Road (Acts 9) encounter. God is no roller coaster. Walk simply with Him day-by-day and you’ll experience the communion of intimacy with the Holy Spirit. 

God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows the future and the road ahead. He sees you. He’s good.

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9 NASB)

I was visiting a little church once. One enthusiastic greeter launched at me and said, 

“I haven’t seen you before, tell me about your God Goals!”

I reeled in horror at the suggestion before mumbling something about “walking humbly with my God” (Micah 6:8) and making myself scarce round the back of the kitchen. 

One of the things I’m big on in my Christian walk is surrender. Daily surrender. Jesus in Gethsemane surrendered. (Luke 22:42). So the notion that I can put together a brightly coloured spreadsheet and God would magically endorse it doesn’t really sit right with me. It all seems very Tony Robbins, American pop-psychology so I tend to steer away from all that. 

Then one day, I was watching tennis and saw an interview with Coco Gauff. She was talking about how she had some five-year goals “in the Notes app in my iPhone and I just remind myself of those”. I was so cool and millennial and simple that the concept appealed to me. So I opened the Notes app on my iPhone and rambled out a list. 

That was on 26 May 2024 and has formed the five year plan that I refer to every now and again for my life. It’s very high level. There’s no coloured spread sheets or Gantt charts, just a list of stuff I want my life to be about. And did I bring this before the Lord? Yes indeed. Can God change any of these around in His perfect and pleasing sovereign Will (Romans 12:2)? Yes indeed. It forms more of a memorial stone (Joshua 4) and a place of thanksgiving for me to see all the wonderful things God had led me to and through. 

I’ll give you some examples:

What really surprised me when I prayed through them last night for New Year’s eve 2025 was how little of it needed editing. 

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9). It’s a bit like prayer, ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7) but at the end of the day, God will have the final say (and the better say). 

If you’re a bit cynical like me about “God Goals” I suggest you try the simple, Coco Gauff method and scribble down some ideas about what you want your life to be about. This can also include things you don’t want for your life. For example, I have “don’t chase people and things”. 

These little nudges on the narrow road will make you feel good about your progress and keep you from stumbling. You can also screenshot some Bible verses and promises the Lord has revealed to you and attach it in the Notes app. 

Happy New Year to you all. May you go on some great adventures with and for God. 

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and (Mammon) money. Matthew 6:24 ESV

I don’t come from a wealthy family and money was always a struggle. The power bill, the phone bill, groceries and petrol… these were the evening discussions in my household from a young age. Money dominated the agenda in my family. We were scared off it, had limited control of it and were always hoping for a winning Lotto ticket or some crazy windfall. I was always determined that I wasn’t going to live on struggle street.

But live on ‘struggle street’ I did. With no financial literacy I always found I was yoyo-ing between austerity and excess.

I had well paying jobs but never any savings and large credit card and student loan debts. Something had to change and I am very grateful to Pastor Joel A’Bell (formerly of Hillsong) who preached a wonderful offering message on our discomfort around money. My heart was burning. I knew that was me and that my finances weren’t before the Lord. I had tried everything else and decided it was time to start following Biblical principles.

I was a slave to money and it controlled me more than God. I started declaring. Yes, all that Joel Osteen stuff head and not the tail (Deut 28:13) lend and not borrow (Deut 15:6, Prov 22:7) I put the Lord first as my provider and sustainer and not my job or my bank account. I went head-to-head with Mammon in the prayer room to push it down and into the proper place in my life. Money is a tool, God is a God of abundance. I will not lack. I would like to tell you things instantly got better, but they didn’t. Like the widow’s oil, (2 Kings 4:1-7) God requires an empty vessel and the spiritual renovation and renewing of the mind to get the slavery of money off a person is scary(and I believe that’s why most people don’t get there). Money is a spiritual issue first and the battle must be done in prayer and Worship first before there is any tangible result.

You cannot serve God and (Mammon) money

I see a lot of Christians taking pride in the fact that they are poor. Poverty and financial stress is awful and it is not of God. It does not make you more humble or less showy or more spiritual to have a lean bank account. I find Christians living in lack talk about money non-stop. It is their God and they are afraid of Mammon. This scarcity mindset is not of God. It dominates your lives and your conversations and keeps you distracted. It’s important to help people get off struggle street but as the Lord once explained to me “sitting on struggle street with other people doesn’t fix the problem-now I just have two people struggling”.

Make it your ambition to get upwardly mobile and provide for yourself, your family, and your church. Stand on the promises of God in the Bible and declare it over your households. That’s how you loose the grip of money off your lives and put God back at the head where He belongs. And if your heart is burning reading this like mine was, it’s time. Put your letters before the Lord (2 Kings 19:14) and see what He can do for you because He’s just that good.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7: 13-14)

This morning, I’ve been thanking God for the narrow gate. He knows the beginning from the end and sometimes, He’ll take you around a seemingly perilous route to save you from yourself.

Eight years ago I was working in Sydney. I had my dream job at Ogilvy, as director of the social media team on Microsoft. Until one morning when I went into work and saw an innocuous meeting request in my calendar “WIP” (work in progress). It was in five minutes so I went in with the Digital Director and he promptly delivered the news that Microsoft were going to a small startup agency under their new manager and we had lost the account. Anyone who has worked in agency side knows what that means…. I was being let go. I was the highest paid person on the account so I was the first one to be thrown overboard. The juniors could be allocated to other accounts.

I was told how to turn in my Surface Pro (ugh horrible tablet but it was Microsoft!) and to please leave via the fire escape to not frighten the horses. I had read enough blog posts of let-go executives to know this was all standard procedure. I took my medicine and within 20 minutes I was off down the fire escape stairs. Dream job over.

I went and sat in Starbucks at Darling Harbour to decompress and knew it was time to come home to New Zealand. The narrow gate. God was leading and showing me how the life I had chosen to build, was built on sand. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I did it, but banking your future and self-worth on something that can so easily be taken away is not wisdom.

Fast forward to today and many of my media friends are out of work. Companies are cutting budgets and AI is rapidly taking over much of the work I did in content and digital. People are stressed over mortgages and lack of job security coming into Christmas. This time around, it’s not me on the job heap and boy am I grateful for it.

Thank God for the narrow gate – the fire escape that leads to life.