What Does It Actually Mean to 'Seek the Welfare' of Where You Are?

A Season of Exile

Back in 2021, we sold what we thought was our forever home in order to purchase land and build our house and shop. But we needed a place to stay in the meantime, so we rented a house at West Creek.

I remember I didn't even want to unpack most of our boxes. I kept thinking this would be six months to a year, tops.

Well, God had other plans. In a sense, we felt like we were in exile, because we couldn't borrow enough money to build what we needed, so we had to stay at that transition home for two and a half years.

After six months, we realized this was going to be a lot longer, and my wife began to unpack, decorate, and make our transition home feel like a home. Something changed in both of us when we began to settle and live in prosperity while we were there. We made many friends and became a light in that neighborhood, where most of the children congregated and hung out.

I remember when the ice cream man would come, and we would buy ice cream for all the neighborhood kids — how happy they were to be around us, and how we loved on them and even treated them like our own. We took them to the fair. We took them to the movies. We impacted them for that season we were there, and many of our children made lasting friendships. I even remember upgrading their stove, because we'd had an accident with their old one.

1. Attitude

Often when we are placed in a new situation — especially one that isn't favorable — we tend to think about how we're going to get back to our comfort zone or our previous place.

We sometimes find ourselves stuck, unable to settle. We can even fall into a holding pattern where we are not moving forward.

2. The Church Plant

I think about this new church plant, and what we may be used to. We may find ourselves in an area or a lane that doesn't feel proper for us.

I feel God is speaking to us to take ownership — to steward that area well, to plant and prosper into the people God has surrounded us with, and to watch them grow.

It's in those short seasons that He places us in where He is testing our faithfulness.

On Selfish Ambition