He who observes the wind will not
sow, and he who regards the
clouds will not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4) In the morning sow your seed, and
at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this
or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)
Placing these two proverbial sayings together you end up
with the strong imperative, “Just do something!” I picture a farmer standing paralyzed in a
field that is ripe for sowing seed just observing, regarding, considering,
mulling over, over-thinking just how or just where to start actually
sowing. He is so concerned that he “get
it right” that he never starts the work at all. Have you ever felt that way about ministry
endeavors? Over-thinking the elusive “calling”,
mulling over what your gifts may be, carefully considering where to jump in,
and all the while, ministry is just not happening. There are many places to
serve, yet you are paralyzed in indecision.
I have felt this way for the last few years. Not that I have
been so paralyzed that I have not been serving. On the contrary, I have been
very active in my church. Yet I have been unsure about where I specifically am
called to plant my ministerial roots. I have labored in prayer and searched my
Bible repeatedly for specifics regarding what I should be doing. God has been
gracious to speak to me through the Word. Those sweet times have been
confirming and encouraging. Yet the answers are still in the realm of
generalities. Not wanting to miss my calling, or start something that I don’t
think I am gifted to finish, I have often desired a clear, audible voice from
the heavens declaring His specific plan for my life. I want to KNOW so that I
can get on with it. And yet, is this how the Lord typically works? Not in my lifetime.
Though an audible voice would be nice, there are many things
in the Word that are clear.
- I am called to ministry. Jesus did not limit the call to go into all the world to preach the gospel, teach and make disciples for the gifted few. He calls us all to labor in the field. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19)
- I have been given gifts. We all have been gifted if we are His. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
- I have been given the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 tells us that we have the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwelling in us, giving us righteousness and life. We have what Paul calls in Colossians the mystery now revealed, Christ in us. There is power for ministry in His name and by His power.
- God has a very good and specific plan for my life and I am right smack in the middle of it! I can rest in this knowledge. (Jeremiah 29:11)
- I do not need to fear missteps. The beauty of believing in the sovereignty of God is that there are no missteps. If I turn to the left when I think later that I should have gone right, He ordained for me to go left for wise reasons. Turning left was part of His plan for my growth and my good.
- I am most encouraged by Jesus’ assuring words, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19)
I need these reminders today. I need to be reminded that I
am free to take risks and venture out in some direction for the sake of His
Kingdom. Sitting paralyzed so that I “get it right” will mean wasted time. I
have been only given one life and lately it seems that my one life is moving at
warp speed. I don’t want to waste the time. The attempts at ministry that I
have made in the past have always been worth the ministry moments. Our gracious
God can use even our attempts to serve Him well in ways that we could never
fathom! And with each attempt, I have a clearer understanding of what I am
gifted or not gifted to do.
So who wants to join me in taking ministry risks
for Jesus? I would rather be a fool making attempts for Him than a puzzled, paralyzed farmer in the field.
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