06/20/2026
What if the reason God feels distant isn't because He's not showing up… but because you keep running ahead of Him?
Grateful (Day 252) – War Room Series Part 1: God's Not Your Employee
Grateful for… the gut-check reminder that I'm supposed to be following Him… not the other way around.
I came across a talk by filmmaker Alex Kendrick recently… and it wrecked me a little. In a good way. You may know him from Facing the Giants. Fireproof. Courageous. War Room. What most people don't know is the behind-the-scenes story of how those movies actually got made… because it has nothing to do with Hollywood connections or a big budget or the right people in the right rooms.
It has everything to do with what happens when a man finally gets out of God's way.
Alex described a moment after Facing the Giants was finished… he'd flown out to California on his own, knocked on every studio door he could find, pitched the movie to Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox. Got turned down by all of them. And he came home frustrated. Honestly angry. He sat in his office and said to God… I don't understand. We honored you through this whole thing. Why aren't you opening the doors?
And then… that still small voice. Not loud. Not dramatic.
Alex… what do you say in this movie?
He'd written the main character to say we praise God when we win and praise God when we lose. And sitting there in his office, stewing in his frustration… he heard it. What are you doing right now, Alex?
He said he got on his knees and told God he was sorry. And in that moment he said something that I haven't been able to shake since I heard it.
He is not my employee.
I felt that one somewhere deep. Because I think that's exactly how I operate sometimes without even realizing it. I bring God my plan and ask Him to bless it. I map out the direction and ask Him to clear the path. I pray for favor on what I've already decided to do. That's not following. That's hiring.
What happened next for Alex is the part that stays with me. He stopped knocking on doors. He surrendered the film. Said Lord, if no one ever sees this… may you be glorified anyway. And within days… Sony called him. He didn't pursue Sony. Sony came to him. Because when he finally got out of the way… God could move.
That's the pattern that ran through every single film Alex made. Every time he ran ahead of God… walls. Every time he surrendered and followed… provision showed up in ways that made no human sense. A check for exactly $7,000 the day after they prayed for it. A half million dollars from a friend who called mid-prayer. A forklift… in some random guy's backyard… in the middle of nowhere.
You can't plan for a forklift in a backyard. But God can.
Here's what I keep coming back to. He doesn't create those gaps to frustrate us. He creates them on purpose… so that when He steps in… there's no question who did it. If you could figure everything out on your own… where does faith come in? Where does He get the glory?
I want to follow like that. Not just say it… actually do it. Bring Him the idea and wait for His direction before I start moving. That's harder than it sounds when you're wired to fix things and make things happen. But the evidence is pretty clear. His way works a lot better than mine.
"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Remember… The Lord Loves You… Have a Blessed Day
