In a church on a Sunday morning, after the service was over, one of the members asked to speak to the pastor privately. After they had gone into the pastor’s study and closed the door, the man informed the pastor that he was resigning his membership in the congregation. He had with him a signed letter of resignation that he handed to the pastor, asking that it be presented to the church council.

The pastor was very disheartened at this. The man had been an active member, an asset to the congregation and a help to the pastor. His departure came as a surprise. Worst of all, his reason for leaving was a purely personal one, the kind of thing that a Christian should not let come between him and his church.

The pastor dreaded having to break the news to the other members, fearing that they, too, would be disheartened by it. And of course they were disheartened by it. But the pastor told them that, regrettable as this was, it was also a good lesson: our hope and trust are in the Lord, not in people, for they can disappoint us. It is good to rejoice in the good things that we see the Lord doing in our congregation and in our church body. It is good to see how He has called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified others. It is good to rejoice over baptisms, confirmations, expressions of faith, and acts of love. But our greatest joy is not in these things, but rather in this, that our names are written in heaven.