Learning to Abound

[Uzziah’s] fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful. But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. — 2 Chronicles 26:15-16

There is a brutal irony buried in this verse: the very success God gave Uzziah became the thing that undid him. It was neither his enemies, nor poverty, but his own success that was his undoing.

And that is often how it goes. Success can subtly loosen our grip on God, until, sooner or later, we find ourselves at the end of our rope — a place I've heard described as “God's address.”

The bible is filled with people who discovered this place God could be found. It’s one of the reasons we have so many psalms and other passages similar to this: “In my distress, I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears” (2 Samuel 22:7).

This cry is, I believe, a saving grace for people prone to forget, prone to wander from the God that delivered us. It is triggered when we find ourselves in another pigsty that we cannot climb out of.

And thank God he is there to deliver and rescue again and again.

I recently came out of a distressful period — eight months of unemployment, filled with letters of rejection, or just being flat out ghosted by HR people, too busy to respond. My faith deepened as I leaned on God for everything: identity, finances, courage, joy, everything!

Recently, I got a contract to do Christian Spiritual formation and discipleship work with a church. This signaled the end of that dreadful eight month period.

As the relief washed over me, I realized I had felt this exact feeling before — that particular sigh of relief that comes when God pulls you out of something that causes terrible anxiety.

Like a flashback in a movie, my mind was drawn back to 2003.

At the beginning of that year, I was notified that my Marine Corps reserve unit had been activated. We would be headed off to Kuwait and Iraq to do our part in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Needless to say, I was seized with fear. We all expected to get activated, but once it happened the reality of warfare weighed heavily on all of us.

So, “in my distress, I called upon the Lord.” My devotional life went from waiting anxiously for church to be over to praying and studying scripture without ceasing.

Seriously, I had one of those pocket Gideon bibles with just Psalms and the New Testament. I carried it with me everywhere, and wore. it. out!

I read it so much that I earned the nickname, “Prophet Meshach.” I wore it proudly, and even predicted — guessed, actually — the week we would be sent home. Certainly, that ranks me with greats like Elijah and Moses.

Reunion day. That boy went over there and got jacked! Can’t even lie!

When we arrived home, and the celebrations with family were through, my brother and I went to hang out with friends. Right before we were getting ready to leave, I distinctly remember grabbing my cell phone, my wallet, my keys… but not my bible.

I felt guilty about it, but… I was home now. Safe. I could revert to my previous relationship with God.

All this echoed through my mind while thinking about how happy I was to finally have meaningful employment again. I’m not the same guy as the one in the picture above, but I share the same tendencies. We all do. This, unfortunately, is a human trait.

Despite all the threats and warnings about what would happen if Israel did not remain faithful, the Lord said to Moses:

“[W]hen I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey… and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant… For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” — Deut. 31:21

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.

But this is not a rule. We don’t have to wander when things are good. We can actually learn to lean into God when things are good. We can learn to listen to him, even when we don’t need a word.

The apostle Paul learned how to do so. In the oft-misquoted scripture in Philippians 4:12-13, he says, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Most people know the last line and quote it triumphantly. But Paul wrote it from prison. He wasn’t being triumphant, but describing contentment in all circumstances.

We are accustomed to people turning to God in their distress. We need more examples of people turning to God in their success. We need more people who recognize that even in success, we need God, because it is he who empowers us to be successful (Deut. 8:18).

This will only happen as we cherish God for being God, more than the things he gives. It will happen as we realize that life with God — regardless of whether it is in a rich, poor, or middle class context — is wonderful because of God. Because, “in his presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

The goal is not to need God less when things are good. The goal is to know him so well — in the valley and on the mountaintop — that all situations become another reason to draw near.

We’ve all experienced Uzziah’s downfall to some degree. Let’s forsake that way and learn the secret that Paul learned by leaning on God in every situation.