04/19/2024
I lost a friend yesterday. Many people knew he was my boss, but he was much more than that.
Rob Stewart was a man I had prayed with many times and was deeply invested in each others lives.
We spent hours together, laughing, cutting up, bullying each other, and talking about where the Lord had us going in the future.
He changed my life by opening up a door for me in the financial planning industry and spent hours teaching me everything I know. I would not be here and would not be able to pastor at Hope like I do if it wasn’t for the opportunity he gave me.
He was a staple in my life. He would never hesitate to tell me how proud he was of me each time I reached a new milestone. He was usually my first call everytime I closed a deal or had a good seminar.
He cared about me, way beyond work. He would tell us he loved us when we left. He would always encourage us to put family and ministry first, and to always do the right thing, whether it was the easy thing to do or not.
What many people don’t realize is how much he cared about Integrity Financial Solutions. It wasn’t just a job for him. It was ministry. His #1 point to us was always to do the best thing for the client above all else, even if it wasn’t as good for us as a company or even if we didn’t make a dime. He cared about helping people learn to manage their finances and to glorify God in them as well.
He wanted to leave a legacy of a financial planning company that was grounded in God’s word and cared for people no matter if they had a dollar to their name or they were multimillionaires. He was training me to take over this calling one day, but none of us expected it to be so soon.
The last time I saw him was about a week ago before he left for the beach. We were hanging out in the office, talking, and putting together new office chairs that had taken me about 4 years to finally convince him to buy. Funny thing was, he was so excited about these new chairs because they were so much nicer than our old ones!
But now, that conference room will never be the same.
The office will never be the same.
IFS will never be the same.
Staff meetings will never be the same.
Success at work will be a little less sweet without him to call.
But what I can rest in is knowing that he is worshipping Jesus in His presence right now and he has finally seen Him face to face. He has no sickness, no sorrow. He has finally been glorified with Jesus for all of eternity.
So though I’m sad here on earth and as I fight through the tears even writing this post, this is one of those times I had no doubt that he entered into Christ’s presence the moment he left this earth. In the last 6 months, his love for the Lord has been reignited to new levels as he prepared for what God was calling him to in evangelism.
So for you Rob, I will do my best to carry on what you started. I would rather do it with you here, but I know you’d be confident in me. I will use your story to point people towards the gospel as you would want me to. I will use what you taught me to help anyone who is willing in their finances with integrity and honesty.
I will always put my family above work, the way you taught me too.
I will put God’s will above money, even though the world thinks that doesn’t make sense.
I will do my best to be there for Lori and your family, as I know they were your #1 priority above all else.
And for the guy who comes behind me, that I will one day train to take over IFS when it’s my time to quit, I’ll make sure to make him beg for new office chairs for 4 years the same way you did me!
I love you Rob. Thank you for opening doors for me that would ultimately change my life.
