By Pastor Robert M. Thomas, Jr.
The Gathering Place Houston | Committed One
As the days continue to move forward in my life, I realize that there will be people—family members, friends, acquaintances, and even some who have followed my journey for years—who may eventually look at me and say, “Something has happened to him. He has totally lost his mind.”
And you know what?
Maybe they’re right about one thing: something has happened to me.
But I haven’t lost my mind.
I’ve discovered a new way of living.
I’ve discovered what it means to surrender my life to the Lord God and allow His Spirit to transform the way I think, the way I live, the way I see my circumstances, and the way I understand my purpose.
There was a time when my life was completely out of control.
For years, I tried to change my circumstances through my own strength. I thought if I could just work harder, figure things out, make the right moves, and somehow control the situations surrounding me, I could finally get my life where I wanted it to be.
But I eventually discovered something very important:
I was trying to do with human strength what only God could accomplish through spiritual transformation.
I didn’t understand it back then.
I thought I needed to change everything around me.
But God began changing me.
SOMETHING NEW BEGAN TO HAPPEN
The Spirit of God began doing something new in my life.
What I couldn’t accomplish through my own efforts, God began accomplishing through His transforming work within me.
My thinking began changing.
My priorities began changing.
My desires began changing.
My understanding of purpose began changing.
And most importantly, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ began becoming the center of everything.
The Bible says:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
I am not claiming that I’ve arrived at perfection.
I’m saying that I’ve been changed.
And when you’ve genuinely experienced transformation, you cannot continue pretending to be the person you used to be simply because other people are comfortable with the old you.
THIS IS AN OLD STORY—BUT A TIMELY TESTIMONY
Now, I want to make something very clear.
This is a very old story.
These are things that happened many years ago in my life. But at this particular point in my journey, I felt compelled to share this story again with my followers, supporters, friends, family, and online music fans.
Why?
Because I believe this testimony can grace and bless many of you who may be trying to fight the good fight of faith all by yourselves.
Some of you may be carrying burdens nobody else knows about.
Some of you may be praying about situations that haven’t changed yet.
Some of you may be exhausted from trying to figure everything out on your own.
And perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that because you are a believer, you have to somehow carry every burden by yourself.
You don’t.
There was a time when I thought I had to figure everything out on my own.
I tried to change my situation.
I tried to control circumstances.
I tried to make things happen through my own strength.
But eventually I had to learn that God never intended for me to live as though everything depended upon me.
There is a difference between fighting the good fight of faith and trying to fight life’s battles entirely in your own strength.
Faith doesn’t mean that you never become tired.
Faith doesn’t mean that you never have questions.
Faith doesn’t mean that difficult circumstances suddenly disappear.
Faith means learning to trust God even when you cannot see how everything is going to work out.
And that’s one of the greatest lessons my life has taught me.
I CANNOT GO BACK TO WHO I USED TO BE
There are some people who may not understand the decisions I’m making in this season of my life.
Some may question why I’m becoming more serious about prayer.
Some may wonder why I’m so focused on the Word of God.
Some may not understand why I’m changing the way I conduct my life.
Others may think I’ve become too radical.
But after everything I’ve experienced, I cannot afford to live as though God has done nothing for me.
I know where I’ve come from.
I know what my life looked like before the Lord began dealing with me.
I know the things I’ve survived.
I know the places I’ve been.
And I know that if it had not been for the mercy and grace of God, my story could have ended very differently.
That’s why I don’t need everybody to understand me.
I simply want my life to testify about the goodness of God.
I’M NOT LIVING FOR APPLAUSE
At this point in my life, I’ve learned that applause from people cannot compare with peace from God.
Popularity cannot replace purpose.
Recognition cannot replace obedience.
And the approval of people cannot become more important than obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
So if someone says, “Robert has lost his mind,” I’m going to keep moving forward.
If somebody doesn’t understand my journey, I’m going to keep moving forward.
If somebody doesn’t understand why I am becoming more intentional about my relationship with God, I’m going to keep moving forward.
Because I have learned something:
Everybody doesn’t have to understand what God is doing in your life for you to obey Him.
Sometimes God will take you into a season where you must stop trying to explain yourself to everybody.
You simply have to walk with Him.
TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, FOLLOWERS, AND MUSIC FANS
I want to share this great news with you.
I’m not ashamed of what the Lord has done in my life.
I am grateful.
I’m grateful for every day I wake up.
I’m grateful for every opportunity to serve.
I’m grateful for every opportunity to preach the Gospel.
I’m grateful for every song God has allowed me to create.
I’m grateful for every person who listens to my music.
I’m grateful for every person who reads these messages.
And I’m especially grateful that God didn’t allow my past to have the final word concerning my future.
As many of you know, I am a man whom the Lord has called to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—to proclaim the manifest Word of God.
That calling is not something I take lightly.
It isn’t about building my own kingdom.
It isn’t about becoming famous.
It isn’t about receiving applause.
It’s about Jesus Christ.
Every message.
Every song.
Every testimony.
Every Bible study.
Every article.
Every opportunity to minister.
My desire is that somebody might hear something that causes them to turn their heart toward the Lord.
THERE IS STILL PURPOSE IN ME
I have discovered that surviving difficult seasons does not mean your story is over.
Sometimes surviving is preparation.
Sometimes the place where you thought everything was falling apart becomes the place where God begins rebuilding your life according to His purpose.
That’s why I can say today:
THERE IS STILL PURPOSE IN ME.
And if God can take my life and begin transforming it, I believe He can meet somebody else right where they are.
You may be struggling right now.
You may be trying to figure everything out.
You may be frustrated because your circumstances haven’t changed.
You may even be wondering whether your life can ever become what you hoped it would be.
Let me encourage you:
Don’t give up.
Don’t assume that your present circumstance is the final chapter.
Don’t spend your entire life trying to control what you were never created to control.
Seek God.
Pray.
Get into His Word.
Allow Him to deal with your heart.
Allow Him to change your thinking.
And allow Him to show you what your next season is supposed to look like.
SO, HAVE I LOST MY MIND?
Maybe some people will think I have.
But if losing the mindset that kept me bound means discovering freedom in Christ, then I’ll gladly leave that old mindset behind.
If becoming more intentional about following Jesus causes people to misunderstand me, I’ll continue following Him.
If seeking the Kingdom of God causes some people to question me, I’ll continue seeking Him.
Because I’ve learned that my life belongs to the Lord.
I’m not trying to return to the person I used to be.
I’m not interested in rebuilding the life that God delivered me from.
I’m moving forward.
Forward in faith.
Forward in purpose.
Forward in obedience.
Forward in the calling God has placed upon my life.
And I’m inviting you to watch what the Lord does next.
Not because I’m trying to prove something to people.
But because I believe my life is becoming another testimony that God is still able to transform a life that once appeared to be completely out of control.
So to my family, friends, followers, supporters, and online music fans:
Thank you for taking this journey with me.
You may not understand everything I’m doing.
You may not understand everything I’m becoming.
You may even think I’ve lost my mind.
But I’m going to keep trusting the Lord.
I’m going to keep preaching the Gospel.
I’m going to keep creating music.
I’m going to keep proclaiming the Word of God.
And I’m going to keep walking forward into everything God has placed before me.
Because when I look back over my life, I can honestly say:
THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME.
And I refuse to be silent about it.
My past is not my master.
My circumstances are not my God.
People’s opinions are not my destination.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
And as long as He gives me breath, I intend to use my life to glorify Him.
— Pastor Robert M. Thomas, Jr.
The Gathering Place Houston
Committed One
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” — Luke 1:37
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