“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24
Happy Sunday God Gold family! Today’s God Gold is a special one and the very first of it’s kind! After the first God Gold shirts made it out, we thought it’d be awesome to spend a day to celebrate some of the people who exemplify what “God Gold” is all about in their daily lives. These are people who daily live out the Gold God has given to them in the workplace, in their family life, and in the lives of their neighbor’s. These are people that we can easily overlook in our lives because they live their lives to the standard of Christ so consistently, the way they live is expected and “normal” to those around them. Our goal with these Golden Highlights, is to shed light on these faithful individuals to recognize, appreciate, and learn from their examples.
Today’s Golden Highlight is none other than my dad, Mark Rogers. So much God Gold can be found in this man’s life but today we want to highlight his heart to work to a standard of excellence that is out of this world. If you asked many friends, family members, or co-workers over the years one word to describe Mark, the word “hard-worker” would be the word most often found. Being his son, I’ve gotten the chance to see and experience first hand my whole life the work ethic of my dad and I’m telling you, it’s pretty incredible! Maybe you think I’m just saying this because he’s my dad but to be honest, there’s been a lot of moments in my life, especially growing up and hearing him pour his work ethic into my life, I wished that this quality wasn’t so true. In my younger years, just learning how to work, I had no desire to work in the ways my dad did or listen when he challenged me to meet his standard. I stand here now at 25 years old, working several different manual labor jobs just how crucial the years of lessons he taught me is in every area of my life. I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without having his example to follow all these years. I’m one of many people who can say that their time spent around Mark Rogers challenged them to be better and influenced their life in huge ways!
His work ethic is just the beginning though, it’s the standard at which he works that sets him apart from the rest. As a grocery store manager the majority of his life, he makes a job that most would see as “insignificant” and daily doesn’t skip a beat in working each part of the job to a standard of excellence that is an example that moves each person around him to follow. If it’s stocking shelves, counting change in the register, or even bringing buggies back inside the store from the parking lot, he does even the small things with all that he possibly can. It’s a standard that has been shaped and molded into his life throughout his years of living, it’s a standard that can only be seen in light of Christ. Some would call Mark a “perfectionist,” in the way he works but even he knows only Jesus can be perfect. A better word to describe him or this standard is “excellence.” Although he can never be perfect, he works daily to be excellent, and continues striving for this excellence standard no matter how he feels, what the circumstances around him are or who is around him.
How can someone continue day after day working so consistently to this standard of excellence? The answer is simple, Jesus. His work is done through the power of Jesus, following after the example of Jesus and to the purpose Jesus has given him. Anyone can strive after success in their work daily for many different reasons, money, praise from others, or for personal gain, but all of those avenues can never obtain the fullness of life that Jesus has given us. That’s what sets Mark apart, that’s what keeps him so consistent and reaching the standard of excellence in all he does, it’s Jesus. With Jesus at work in his life and with him giving all he has for the glory of Jesus on a daily basis, his work is noticed and the people who notice are made better than they were before they encountered him. Mark Rogers, a living example of God’s Gold. My prayer is that we can all learn from his faithful example of what it looks like to give your life to Jesus in all that you do for the glory of His name and nothing else.
Got a Sunday Surprise for you today that may take you back a few years! For me, this song takes me back to my roots of growing up in a small townsouthern church and hearing this song sung during the worship time on Sunday mornings. It may be a song you could find in any hymnal but it’s definitely a hymnal classic! There’s something aboutthistruth that is brought out in this song and the power in these words that just sets my heart on fire and gets me belting out the lyrics as loud as I possibly can! This song has been one I’ve played a lot the past couple of weeks and helped me through some pretty tough times, Ipray it can be of some encouragement to you today! Also, Ihope it can be a song to worship to and sing out not justtoday but each day of the week ahead!
There is suchpower in the truth of the Gospel, a power that is founded in victory, starting on the cross and being won at the grave!!! Hope you enjoy this!
“A dentist came home to his wife excited about the day’s events. He had met a fellow dentist who had served in the mission field using his dental skills.
He began, “Marge, I think the Lord wants me to work with the poor in Central America. They are in great need of dental care.”
“Dear husband, it isn’t civilized down there. I’ve heard that they have cockroaches the size of bats. And no running water.”
“Marge, the Lord will provide for our needs and we will be able help people who really need us. Bedsides, I am sure the Lord is calling me to do this.”
“How do you know the Lord is calling you to do this?”
“Well, I just feel it, and it’s in the Bible.”
“In the Bible? What verse?”
“Let me get it for you. It’s from Psalms 81:
‘I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)'”
Hey guys it’s FINALLY here!!!! RWANDA WEEK is officially under way!!! I’m jacked up to share tons of stories, experiences and lessons learned from my time in Rwanda but figured it would be best to start you off with a little background on myself and why these trips really changed my life and my heart in so many ways. I had shared this post awhile back telling you some of the background but wanted to dig a little deeper with you on it so when you read these you don’t think more of me but only the One who made it all happen!!!! Jesus!!!!
I’ll be honest, I never in a million years thought that I would be going across the world for anything, especially not for Jesus! It blows my mind to think back and see what happens and the extent people end up going when Jesus comes into their lives. I could tell you I had it all planned out and always wanted to be a missionary but I’d be lying to you. It’s just Jesus and transforming love! When Jesus is in it, people do some weird stuff, people do things they never thought possible, people do things that change their life forever and others lives along with them! I could write to you all day about Rwanda, tell you all the stories and experiences I had there but I’d be so wrong to leave out the only reason I was there, and that’s Jesus!!!!
I was in a crucial place in my life when my cousin Paige, and her husband RC asked me to go on this trip. I was coming off a few months of seeing Jesus for the first real time in my life and I was completely taken back and honestly confused on what to do about this fire He had set in my soul. I was coming out of a life where I thought hanging out at bars and parties on the weekends was as good as life gets. I thought I was living and my liquid buddy was helping me “live” even more but then I would always end up in a similar place, empty, broken, and lost. Then through a series of wild events Jesus opened my eyes to see Him in the fullness of who He is!!! Things began to change rapidly for me and it was weird. I no longer wanted to go anywhere near my old favorite weekend spots, I started reading my Bible more, like seriously, from where I was in life this was super weird but once again, it’s Jesus!!!!
I had grown up in church all my life, I thought I had a pretty good idea what a “Christian” looked like but Jesus was showing me life like I had never seen it before. Let’s just say I was clueless to what that looked like and what I was doing in this newfound relationship. Which, honestly I’m still pretty clueless but learning and experiencing Christ in new ways everyday, the process of growing in Christ makes this process of life, living for Christ a little easier to live.
So I’m 22, no clue what I’m doing, going through a crazy time where God was opening up my eyes to Him and the purpose He had for me. Beyond the call to ministry, He showed me my purpose in Him is the same of all of our purpose as Christ followers, serving Him by serving others. I had no clue what that looked like and just when I began becoming hungrier and hungrier to experience more of Him and to serve others, He opened up a door in my life. My cousin Paige and her husband Cory, had been going on mission trips to Rwanda in recent years and this year they were going back to serve the people and kids there again. I went to church with them one Sunday to see their little Baker Bea get dedicated. After church they asked me if I wanted to go to Rwanda with them. I literally just heard the message Pastor Joel brought that Sunday, hearing apart of his testimony that hit home with me, and cried the majority of the service. By the way, I used to never cry because that wasn’t “manly” but since Christ came into my life, I am definitely a lot more emotional. I mean how can you not cry when you sit there so undeserving, a past filled with so much bad and then Christ is there loving you, giving you true LIFE for the first time, the Son of God, so holy, perfect and awesome loving me out of all people?!?! I’m not trying to make a case for my crying but yeah, it’s a pretty awesome case anyways!
They asked me to go to Rwanda with them, and coming off the past few months and that service being hit so deeply by the love of Christ. I wanted to hug and kiss them for giving me this opportunity!! I was so hype!!! So my answer to them is obviously yes right? Not so fast! The couple of months following this awesome door being opened, I began to listen to the wrong voices. I heard Satan’s lies, and it made me question everything. “Am I really prepared to fly across the world to serve in the mission field in Rwanda? How do I even serve? What do I have that I can serve those people with? What can I do that can bring any kind of blessing or impact to the people there?” I was scared. Plain out terrified. I mean I have barely been out the state of South Carolina so going to Africa, AFRICA!!! That’s way out of my league right?
I began to worry and doubt and play with the thoughts of not going because I was scared. When people asked if I was going I was more wishy washy than a washing machine that washes shooting stars. I don’t think that’s really a thing but you get my point. I even began making the excuse that since the trip was in the middle of the school year, I would miss classes and I can’t be missing classes. In all my years of being in school, I have NEVER, came close to saying anything like that.
I had a good bit longer to decide but just listen to how crazy God works. I was sitting at my house, my phone rang. I looked to see who it was, saw the area code being from where my cousin was from so I immediately started freaking out. At the time I didn’t have her number because I had a new phone so I started thinking, “oh my gosh! She’s calling me to see if I’m going, I don’t know what to tell her because I still don’t know if I’m going!” I was losing my mind so on the way to work that day I remembered hearing people say, “pray about it.” Like I mentioned, at this point in my walk with the Lord I was clueless so I figured, “well, yeah, I’ll pray about it because if my cousin is calling then I need a decision ASAP!” I literally just said, “okay Lord I don’t know what you want me to do, do you want me to go to Rwanda on this trip or do you want me to stay back so I don’t miss school (yeah right)? I just need an answer Lord PLEASE!!!”
So then I proceed to hit shuffle on my Christian playlist that I had on my phone thinking maybe He’ll answer with a song. And guess what?!? This song is the song that came on! i heard the lyrics;
“God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied”
Yep! I was going to Africa!!! How much clearer could He make it than this! Multiplied!!! He wanted me to go multiply the awesome Halleluiahs He’d brought to my life across the world!!! It’s so crazy how wild but simple God is in His responses to us! I don’t know if I would recommend trying this route but if it feels right, then see how He wants you to share His light!
My fear was gone, I didn’t know how or why but witnessing God work in this way, I just heard, “multiply”, His mission was set for me and I still didn’t have a clue how to serve in the mission field or what I was getting myself into but it was happening because God said so! I hurried, grabbed my phone to call back my cousin so I could tell her the exciting news. I called the number that had called me earlier, to hear the voice of a robot pick up, it was a telemarketer that called me?!?! What?!?!
Just a weird and wild story of how God pushes us out of our comfort zone, through all the fear and lies, into a place of total dependence on Him. And what’s so cool about depending on Him and asking Him what we should do, He ALWAYS answers! In that moment I still didn’t even know if liked the answer but soon after that, when I went on the trip spent two weeks serving in Rwanda. I realized I don’t have to know what’s ahead, I just need to trust that whatever it is, God has set it up for my good and the good of His Kingdom! That’s all that matters! I didn’t know how to serve or what I had to offer and learned throughout that trip that once again, it’s not about what I got but what God can do and will do. I learned that God has made me, designed me, and specifically prepared me through experiences to serve wherever He calls me. In this case, it was being the crazy white boy who loved to dance. That’s something I’m good at and in those moments of serving over there God used that to multiply His Halleluiahs!!!
It stills blows my mind to this day how God works and God intervenes in our life and time of need, how He teaches us to let go and just go! He shows us through the moments of walking out of our comfort zone into the unknown that He is God, He has us, and He is soooo GOOD!!! Those two weeks changed my life completely in so many ways, the next year going on another trip there and getting the chance to ask Sarah to be my wife surrounded by the cheering voices of my Rwandan family, and to think if left up to me and my fear, I wouldn’t have gone! If left up to me I wouldn’t have experienced any of that!
I hear this song now and so many emotions rise up. Literally, driving down the road with my fiance, Sarah the other day this song comes on, all the memories of hanging out with those Rwand
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