This chapter reminded me once of what I heard Francis Chan say at the first Orange Conference we went to. He quoted Hebrews 11:6 that says, "without faith it is impossible to please God." Then he said, 'if that's true, than maybe with faith it is impossible to not please God.That always stuck with me. I think because we're in ministry we're supposed to always be living by faith, but yet it feels like I'm often living by programs or principles. Is the success of my ministry based on whether or not God shows up or whether people show up? Am I relying on God strength and direction or relying on good programing that's proven to work? Am I being lead by wise principles of ministry or by God's Spirit? I don't always know the fine line between the two.
There are definitely times when I am desperate for God, but if I were to be honest, often that desperation is motivated out of not wanting to look like a fool in front of others. "God all these people are showing up, please do something!"
If I new I was dying in 29 days, would I be concerned about this stuff. Probably not. I would probably go play with Trace who just asked, "Hi dadda, what you doing?"
What about you? What jumped out at you this chapter?
I know what you mean. I feel that often I am doing things just to please/accommodate people, but isn't that part of ministry? When we are pleasant and accommodating isn't it then that we are Jesus with flesh on? We don’t want to look foolish in front of people because we represent something bigger than ourselves. This is most apparent to me when I have no problem looking foolish in front of a group of people when I am telling the Bible story to the kids. I don’t care what I look like as long as they are getting the point. I think wise principles of ministry were given to us by God as tools to help us and that is why the line is blurred. I believe that we continue to grow because God keeps showing up. As long as we continue to submit to Him, and allow Him to work in us and through us, and give Him the glory instead of thinking any of it was our idea, He will continue to show up. I think as a staff we do a great job of doing all we can to allow this to happen every day and it is apparent in the fruit that is being produced.
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