Remain Faithful

For my birthday my mother gave me a devotional book by Paul David Tripp. For the last couple days each devotional begins with maybe you want ___________ from Jesus and then it ends with this phrase, "He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King." Our world is in a pretty uncertain time right now. Who are we kidding, we are always in that state. However we have become more aware of this as our nation has been hit my one natural disaster after another. Impending threats from North Korea, Hurricane after Hurricane devastating all in its path, earthquakes, wild fires out of control and flooding are a few of the things we are facing today. I will be honest, it is scary. I have friends and family in the path of Irma. The storms changed our plans for orientation week for interns. There is a lot of crazy, uncertainty. As I walk through today stressing, thinking and planning for every possible scenario I am reminded once again that this is not my ministry. This is not my earth. This is not my plan. None of this is for my glory or depended upon my knowledge or actions. It is all under the feet of my God. "He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King."

What a beautiful thing to rest in. It isn't easy to rest in, but it is beautiful and perfect. In our human flesh we want to reason and understand. We want it under our control. However, that is just impossible. It think of the Psalmist who ask "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Who are we to think that we have any authority or power to hold any control in our hands. I have heard people saying that the end of the world is coming.... to be honest it is. It gets closer and closer every day. But we do not know the day or hour of our Lord's return. Whatever the next day, weeks, months, or years hold for us will we gain a day more by worrying about it? Will our desperate attempt to control things change the course of God's will? Where does this leave us? I think there are several responses to this knowledge but my prayer is that my response be one of faithful hope.

We could deny it. We could hide from all the misery and disaster. We could try and build our own little kingdom or world, hemming in ourselves from the frightfulness outside our walls. We could become hopeless. We could know that the end is coming and just give up. We could sit and wait for it and do nothing more. I have wanted to do both of these. A part of me wants to turn off the T.V. and radio and block out any outside noise. I want to build my little life in peace and quiet and not think about any impending danger. But of course Jesus himself warned us that in this world we would have trouble. It isn't a very biblical response to run from it. I have also wanted to just sit and wait and forget everything else. I mean if the Lord is coming back next week lets just forget it all! Let me grab my coffee, my Bible's and just sit with the skyline in view...waiting anxiously. Then again when Jesus ascended into heaven, telling his disciples he would be back for them they stood their looking to the sky only to be rebuked by an angle. "What on earth are you looking at? Go, get to work!" (my paraphrase, obviously)

Neither of these are right responses... they are filled with fear or selfishness, honestly. God has been teaching me a lot recently in both regards. I realized that the best response is faithfulness. The Lord is coming back soon. That is a nonnegotiable, non-disputable fact. It is getting closer and closer every day. We are to be ready for it! Which I am. I am saved and right with the Lord. I will continue to fall before him when I sin and confess my sin because he is faithful and just to forgive it. We are to be watching! We aren't supposed to get so caught up living this life that we forget that we are bound for an even greater destination. Have a heavenly aspect of life. Remembering that this life is temporary. We are supposed to GO. God gives us many commissioning speeches throughout Scripture. We are called to be the feet that spread the gospel, those who tell others of his goodness and to bring him glory. We are called to work for him! It is like that story of the owner who gave 3 men differing amounts of talents and went away, telling them he would be back. The ones who invested the talents to bring more back to their master were rewarded. We are like those men. God has given us talents to bring him glory and one day he will return. He won't be satisfied if we bury our talent and anxiously and fearful wait his return! NO! We are called to invest those talents to further his kingdom and to bring him glory. Everything is for his glory! So remain faithful. In the midst of chaos, controversy and imminent doom, remain faithful to your God and King.

"He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King."

A voice of Hope

As I sat in the midst of a circle of god-fearing women I heard these words... voices of many of my inward struggles.

"Lonely. Unbalanced. Overwhelmed. Discouraged. Struggling with Obedience. Timid Witness. Trials of Life. Trying to earn God's approval/love. Sick and Unbelieving Family. Workers are Few. Distracted."

Does it not cause tears to form in your eyes and your heart feel suppressed and crushed? It is such a strange phenomenon that to be in the Lord's work can be so painful and such a struggle. Yet, here we are. I am not talking about young believers thrown into a ministry that they have no idea about. I am talking about season women of God, who have served Him their entire lives. On other days you would find us all with a smile on our faces, excited to share with you what the Lord was doing. We would tell you of all the success of the ministry that the Lord had called us to. But here, here was a protected place of sisters who come in their human states: broken, hurt, discouraged.... We are broken vessels who told the Lord that He could use us as he saw fit. That is all we are. We are not strong. We are not mighty. We are not world-changers. We are not super-women. We do not have it all together. We have surrendered. 

Why do I feel the need to write this blog post? There are 2 reasons. The first being for those out there thinking that they can't be the world changers. The ones who think they are stuck in their job, with their kids or whatever it is that you feel holds you back from serving the Lord. The only thing in the way of God using you right where you are is SURRENDER. God can and will use anyone. Did you read that description above?? We don't have it together but God still uses us every day! What a beautiful thing! Surrender to Him. Whatever He asks of you He will accomplish if you allow Him. It is always Him.

The second reason I wanted to write this blog is for all my sisters in ministry. Ministry isn't easy. We often get discouraged and tired. I hear you. I see you. I mourn with you. I struggle with you. You are not alone. You never have been. I want to remind you of something vitally important. No matter what age you are, what season of life, this is TRUTH.

GOD CALLED YOU TO THE MINISTRY YOU ARE IN. 

We can often doubt that truth right there. Satan tries to tell us that we aren't good enough. We messed up. Our gifts don't allow us to do _________. We don't know how to handle that. Who are you to be doing _________ for the Lord? Let me tell you who you are...

"Fear not I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are MINE." (Isaiah 43:1b)

You are CHOSEN. You are JUSTIFIED (1 Cor. 6:11). You are WASHED (1 Cor. 6:11). You are REDEEMED. You are SUMMONED. You are more than a CONQUEROR (Rom 8:37). You are an HEIR with CHRIST (Rom. 8:17). You are a NEW CREATION (2 Cor 5:17). You are ACCEPTED (Rom 15:7). You are UNITED with CHRIST (1 Cor. 6:17). You are the TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT (1Cor. 6:19).

Satan can try all day to make us feel unworthy. Without Christ we are unworthy. But we are IN CHRIST. He has commissioned us and asked us to do what we are doing. And He hasn't left us to do it all alone. He is here with us. Be encouraged and know that in the midst of the loneliness, being unbalanced, being overwhelmed, being discouraged, struggling to be obedient, being timid in our faith, going through the trials of life, fearing the Lord's disapproval, crying for our families who are sick and disbelieving, discouraged because the workers are few, and being distracted, He is here. He knows. He knows our struggles. He knows our hurt and pain. He hasn't left us and He hasn't decided He can't use us. What a beautiful thing about our Lord is that He chooses us in our broken messes. This is His ministry and He will complete it... and He desires to use YOU to do it. Stay strong, and know you are loved. 

1 Peter 2:19-25