The last two blogs have quoted from a letter written by Nate to Nelson in which he summarized his life, including successes and failures. The letter must have been difficult to write, as he was entrusting his grown son with confidential information he hadn’t previously shared with anyone.

My guess is that Nate was doing what all parents hope to do: passing along the valuable lessons he’d learned in the School of Hard Knocks. The letter still ministers to me, because he was willing to share such intimate detail about his failures and their consequences. We all know failure can be life’s footpath to success, but it isn’t easy to expose your heart to this depth of honesty.

Below is the conclusion to his 5 page letter as he tries to answer the question of what the Lord wants from him as a Christian man:

What does Jesus want me to devote my energies to?

Hating those who wronged me? Or seeking His guidance and working for Him and my family? As Christian men, we know the answer. In our “struggle against sin,” we take encouragement that the Lord disciplines those He loves. 

Now, when I practice law, I think of the heavenly reason why I do it. That is my “race.” Not my choice, but my “race.” There are missteps and down days, but the purpose is sure.  

Paul struggled with sin as all Christian men do. (Romans 7:7-25). Christ rescues us from sin. Service to others is paramount (1 Corinthians 16:15-18). We live as children of light (Ephesians 4:17-32) 

I share the details of my life with you so you can see the human difficulty of trying to live a Christ-centered life – we cannot do it alone. We must rely on Him every day. If we don’t, we all stray. We read His word and pray, or we lose to the world. 

Love, Papa

The pain of Nate’s struggle is evident in his words. Thankfully, he recognized the removal of his “fortunes” as God’s discipline after he had become too enamored with money. He also realized the Lord was disciplining him out of a heart of love.

I well remember the angst of those days of business failure and despair. Reading Nate’s letter, especially as he reveals his change of heart, brings encouragement to me today. It’s heartening to realize that through all the upheaval, Nate felt loved by God.

Maybe his words will lift another who is currently fighting a money battle, wondering where the Lord’s rescue might be. Although God did rescue Nate (on this earth), it had nothing to do with restoring the money he’d lost but everything to do with changing his heart.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” (Psalm 91:14)