Do your lips say "yes" when your heart meant "no"? Do you at times feel there is just not enough you to go around? I don't. As much as I get done, I learned a hard lesson years ago and that is to live one body at time. Meaning? I'm not two people.
Last week Jason Thornton had a special lunch and meeting for senior citizens of which I would fit in that age range to discuss future ministry ideas. He asked me earlier in the week if I would be there. I told him no. Do you know what he said back to me? "Great!"
It wasn't that I wasn't interested. It wasn't that I don't love that group of people. I haven't felt well. I wasn't too ill to be there, but the meeting didn't hinge on my presence. God could handle it just fine without me. From what I hear, He did!
I remind those of you who feel either guilty or unfaithful when you say no when you surely wanted to speak otherwise, Jesus worked on this very dilemma for us. He needed to be more places at once than he could cover. He died and sent His Spirit in return to live in more and more and more individuals. He didn't send His Spirit to live in "only" you. He sent Him to "all of us" and a fabulous team are we!!!!!
Be willing to be used as God's vessel. Included in such concurrence is the willingness to not show up, to not participate, to understand ministry doesn't revolve around you. It revolves around the Holy Spirit's combined efforts in all of us and as a universal family, He gets things done. We can opt to say no and mean it without implying we no longer care.
I love being a minister and one of the reasons I remain extremely fired up is I have learned quite well to pace myself even when other well-meaning brethren try to heap that sneaky bit of guilt hoping I'll cave. God runs the show.....no one else; not you, not me.
1 comment:
Thank you for teaching me this, Terry.
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