God@Work: Chris Tincher

Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing how the Lord is working specifically in the lives of a few people in our church family during this unprecedented time. Our hope is that these stories give glory to God and spur us on. While the story is still unfolding and we may not know exactly what the Lord is doing, we want to encourage each other to look to Him.

GOD@WORK

by Chris Tincher

He Knows

It was early March when we could meet together in person as a church family. We had a vibrant economy and life was good! Two weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic reached our community, and things changed rapidly. There was so much uncertainty. We no longer felt in control. But the reality is, we never were in control. God made us to have limits. Finitude is the state of having limits or bounds. God created us; we are finite. God is infinite; He is limitless. Pastor Doug shared in January this quote from A.W. Tozer, “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.” None of this caught God off guard. He was not surprised. Pastor Nate preached in February that God is all-knowing. God knows all things. Who God is in His very essence and nature brings a peace to my life that surpassed all understanding. I simply have to trust God.

Same Storm, Different Boats

Easier said than done, I know. There is a popular quote on social media: “We are all in the same storm, but different boats.” How true, that everyone’s story is different. The impact of this pandemic has affected us all in different ways. The financial impact of this on businesses is heartbreaking. The daily stress, challenges, obstacles and difficult decisions that owners and managers are making, in both partially-opened and closed businesses, is unprecedented.

I operate the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Avon. My first concern has been taking care of my 150 team members by keeping them safe, healthy and being about to provide ongoing compensation. My next concern was to operate the business with our dining room closed and with constant operational changes to keep our guests and team members safe. We were thankful that we could still operate our business with our drive-thru, mobile curbside pickup and third-party delivery business. Not all restaurants and essential businesses have these opportunities or other unique ways to maintain their revenue stream.

God’s Providence

God has uniquely prepared our Chick-fil-A brand and our restaurant in particular to operate in these difficult times. Our remodel last year, our increased food production capacity and our technology innovations in our drive-thru and mobile app platform has allowed us to continue to grow our business. Our leadership team and all of our team members are working hard to serve our guests with kindness and hospitality. We have been able to care for our team members and maintain their compensation level. Our purpose at Chick-fil-A is, “To Glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” We are so grateful and thankful for God’s blessings and providence. We are thankful for all of our customers who trust us during this time. 

Dependence on God & Interdependence on others

Andy Stanley said recently that “trials expose the authenticity of our faith and our confidence in God.” What a trial we are in! The future of this trial is still uncertain. Will you trust Him? I have been reading two particular Psalms almost daily: Psalm 46 and Psalm 9. These scriptures have encouraged me and helped me to depend on God during this time. A few verses stand out: Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 91:9–10 NIV “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” Acknowledge your reality. Determine your resolve. Leverage your relationships. We love to celebrate our independence, but we were created for dependence. Dependence upon God and interdependence on one another. This will see us through.

May God Bless You and Keep you!