Unsure and unsatisfied with where they are at, Christians I’ve talked to over the past two years have often made me think about how does God use our lives and how we can act on His calling. What are your expectations for how God is to work in your life? Are you like me in that my time and schedule gets filled with work and things so rapidly I feel at a loss? Comparing myself to others, am I just doing okay or poorly?
My heart has burned for different men, women, and couples I’ve talked to that have a burden for the lost but at that time were not pursuing to answer that burden. I wish I had not responded in my natural gentleness but shouted, “Forget all these other things! You just follow Jesus!” In my past I wish I had been so similarly challenged and listened more often. It took me a long time to give up my plans.
God works in similar ways so that we would see His kingdom and His righteousness first, but the timing and how it happens is another issue all together. We’re all at different places in our walks and Christ working on us. We need to act boldly on faith and challenge each other. I’m talking to myself too, because I, like others, was stubborn and it has taken some sludge hammers and lots of humbling experiences for God to get me in a place where I’m willing to be molded by Him. Jesus said you follow me (Read John 21:21-23). We cannot compare or rank our walks with anyone. He just said you follow me, don’t worry about the others. Don’t worry about all these other things, He knows.
I’ve had my share of taking my plans into my own hands with relationships, evangelism, and my calling; all of which tended to not go so well.
My last year of college I was praying for lots of people to get saved, and maybe it could have happened, but there were several problems with my plans. Three things that tend to be the problems for most American Christians: lack of self-sacrifice and discipline, and myself was a key part of the plan of people getting saved. In other words it was a good spiritual goal but at the heart it was about myself.
I did evangelism but it lacked God’s real empowering and spirit because I lacked taking time to pray and read the scripture. I did it alone too, a lone ranger is no good. I didn’t sacrifice what I really needed to accomplish what was burdened on me so that I could sharpen myself spiritually and encourage others to join me.
Secondly it was to accomplish something big, a wonderful thing to catch the attentions of many. Now who wasn’t looking for the crowds? Jesus wasn’t looking for the crowds and even said some scary things that frightened followers away when the crowds got big. The American Christian culture has adopted its mindset of success from the world in many ways–it has to be big, lots of people, and bring in lots of media/interest/money, whatever. Jesus preached to everyone but He didn’t make any stay if they didn’t want to. Jesus’ ministry was successful because he wasn’t seeking to please people but only obey and please God the father.
A strategy in the US is to throw warm bodies, plans, and money at a problem and hope that it will work. Discipline, brokenness before God, righteous living, and practical training in spiritual ministers are typically lacking. The question has to be asked where is the fruit to all the labor, time, and money spent? People are definitely still called to teach, pastor, missions, or a myriad of ministries in America and abroad, but one must ask are they qualified, or will they instead just be a misleading burden, and where is the fruit after the years of work (Side note: of course even if they aren’t qualified God can still use them)? The opposite is totally true as well, becoming so educated as becoming self-reliant and hardened to the Spirit’s leading and instead choosing to follow our own human wisdom. Are the way things being done actually being affective? Is it Spirit led? Are the heathen masses being saved? Or is it just people and money being tossed around in the middle of a program? Am I continually praying and asking for His direction?
On the day the apostles received the Spirit, Peter preached and thousands gave themselves to Jesus. It was by the work of the Spirit, but make note the Spirit was drawing on what had already been taught to them by Jesus. Jesus had been teaching him and the other disciples over a period of 40 days about His resurrection, showing them many proofs of it, and concerning the kingdom of God, which I’m sure was pretty amazing stuff (Act 1:1-3; Luke 24:45)! So after several years with Jesus and having some in-depth teaching time right before the Spirit filled them they were ready to explode and the Spirit could bring forth all that Jesus had taught them.
Sometimes the better question to ask than what is God’s will for me is what is God doing and how can I be part of it? It isn’t so much about ourselves, despite how much me, myself, and I tell myself that it is all about me, which reminds me of the need for brokenness. In the overall picture of God working through us as individuals, it is that we are all called to something different to take part in the body of Christ. Being individuals in one body working toward bringing about the kingdom of God on earth.
While in Asia I met missionary drivers. That sounds crazy, you might think. Who ever reads in a magazine about missionary drivers? Exactly, you don’t. But these are brothers that went through missions and Bible training and did their field training just like the others but would drive people about to and from things and serve. At one of the Bible Colleges I visited there was one particular brother in his mid-twenties, named Joseph, who was the kindest young man. But he was trained and had served in the field too. But looking at his job you wouldn’t say that he was a front line missionary–cleaning, preparing rooms, and serving food. But what a servant’s heart he had. He served us and also many at the Bible College, and was also part of discipling and training the students. These guys served with gratitude just to play the part they had in reaching the lost. Thousands a day are coming to Christ just through the individuals serving where they are. Insignificant as the role may seem, God is doing amazing things through our humble brothers and sisters.
So I have no idea what God has called you too but I would encourage you to analyze your life and ask God how to take up your cross and live with a sense of sacrifice right along with our brothers and sisters in Christ so that the lost may be reached.
I had wanted to be a speaker and an evangelist on the streets. I wanted to be on the frontline. But the most important question to ask is why am I doing what I am? Is it just the common practical thing to do, was it how I was trained to, told I needed to by family, friends, and coworkers, or because that is the way it has been done before? Or is it something that God has directed you to and empowered you in the Spirit to accomplish?
Recent Comments