Embrace the Unexpected
Trusting God’s Bigger Plans for Your Life
Phil Wickham, a renowned worship leader, recently shared his journey into the music ministry with Family Life Radio, revealing insights into the unexpected ways God works through our lives.
“It just seems too crazy,” Phil confessed during the interview, speaking about his early days when he could hardly imagine drawing more than a few dozen listeners during a performance. Many of us face similar doubts, questioning our capabilities and the path laid out for us. Yet, Phil’s experience celebrates the reality of what might seem impossible is often where God’s work begins.
Jesus says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV). Phil’s journey from playing for 30 people in Milwaukee to an impactful music ministry illustrates this beautifully.
When you’re overwhelmed by doubt, you should lean not on your own understanding but trust in the plans God has for you.
Community Support in Personal Growth
The turning point in Phil’s career came unexpectedly when a family friend saw his potential and took a tangible step to support it. “I just was excited to serve the church. And [my] songs, little by little, made their way into other churches. I was 19 and I had these songs, in my sphere of influence, were connecting in these Calvary Chapel churches.”
A friend of the family and successful businessman asked why Phil didn’t have an album yet. To which Phil’s father explained the cost was a factor, and that they were waiting for the right time.
Phil shares, “He wrote a check right then for the whole thing,” Phil recalls, and his gesture was pivotal in launching his first album.
Our community is vital in our spiritual and personal growth. The Bible echoes the importance of community in Hebrews 10:24-25, urging us to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.
Phil continues, “Literally out of the trunk of my car and in lobbies of churches on Sunday mornings, we sold like 30,000 of those albums. I was this 20-year-old kid and was like, ‘Whoa, maybe there’s something here.’ I never sent that album anywhere, but other people started moving it around, and it made its way out to Nashville.”
Like Phil, you may find that the support you need could come from within your faith community—encouraging you, investing in your dreams, and helping you to realize them.
Seizing God’s Plans Over Our Own
Reflecting on his career, Phil acknowledges, “I was probably my biggest naysayer. Honestly, back in those days, I think it was because I was too afraid because it seemed too good to be true,” he admits.
“I was afraid to let expectations get too high. And I think it really probably come back to a lack of belief in the amount that God loves me and that He’s got bigger dreams than I could ever have for myself.”
“It’s been a learning process in that for the last 20 years of just realizing God is so much bigger.”
It’s a transformative shift in understanding God’s boundless plans over our limited ones.
As Christians, embracing that God has bigger dreams for you can be both liberating and daunting. Phil’s experience shows that when you surrender your expectations and embrace God’s possibilities, life can unfold in ways you never imagined.
The Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20 resonate here: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (NIV).
Grace and Growth
Phil Wickham’s story is a powerful narrative about grace, growth, and the unexpected journeys God charts for us.
As you reflect on your won journey, consider the areas where you may have underestimated God’s grace. Whether it’s overcoming doubt, leveraging community support, or embracing His grand plans over your modest ones, there is always room to grow and learn.
When you face doubts or feel alone, God is working through those around you and has plans far beyond your wildest dreams. Ask God to help you see the larger picture of God’s design for your life, reminding you that you are part of a greater story—one that He is writing each day.
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