WHEN YOU FEEL YOU AREN'T DOING ENOUGH

I've been sorta down lately.

This is going to sound like it's about me.

But it isn't.

It is about encouraging you.  It is also about walking with God.  I want to expand your perception of your light that shines for surely our vision gets blurred as to our true opportunities as well as effectiveness.

My prayer for forty years has been, God, help me to reach the whole world.  Yet, lately I have been discouraged because I don't feel like I'm doing any good.  Ever felt that way?  I thought maybe that's the case for some of you as well.

Yesterday and again today I have been thinking about God.  I began to think about what He had done since the initial first prayer seeking His guidance so that I could reach the whole world. I'll share just a bit of what I realized.

As soon as I started praying this prayer as the minister in another city, Memorial Drive called and asked if I would consider a move to Tulsa and become their preacher.  I declined.  Then when praying that prayer again, I stopped in the middle and never finished my prayer that day. Had this call been His response and I didn't want it?

I begrudgingly flew to Tulsa for an interview.  I told the elders in my very first sentence that I just could not leave Quincy, IL.  One asked that if I did move, why would I?  I told them that if God would use me to reach the world from Tulsa instead of there, I would have to.  I did so very reluctantly in 1977.  The only reason I made such a forced and unwanted move was because of that prayer.

Besides Memorial Drive's congregational outreach, this Tulsa move put me on the stage of a world evangelism workshop as speaker; but more importantly its director.  This puts me in yet another position of influencing mega-amounts of believers through these talented speakers and booth reps of even more outreach ministries.

I continued the prayer.  A publishing company called asking if I would write a book.  I did; plus twelve more since.  God seems to help me to reach the whole world.

I continued the prayer.  Out of God's blue I got a call from Louisiana about hosting a national television program, CrossView.  With little skill in this field, I agreed and for three years hundreds were baptized into Jesus.  God, help me to reach the whole world.

During this time the editor of my hometown newspaper, Chris Feeney, asked if I would like to write a weekly column.  Tossing Life Your Way has made its way into approximately 500 issues to date.

Later a rather odd thing happened.  God created Internet.  First there was blog outreach.  And then that extended to Facebook.

I share this with you to inspire you about you....and your God.  We tend to pray for things we want that are about us.  Be cheerful about praying things that are for others.  I still want to reach the whole world. 

What is it you want from God and for others?  Is it something for a family member?  Your community? Your country?  The whole world?

I cheer you on.  Go out into the unexpected, unplanned, and unseen.  Link with the creativity of Father.  He has the talent.  We have none.  Our none, however, does not hold us back from seeking His all.  We live in a fascinating world....and so much of it is behind-the-scenes invisible...that works due to God's remarkable reach.  

Life in the kingdom is not about us doing.  Rather it is about us believing He can do.

This post makes me feel quite uncomfortable in rehearsing what God lets me get to do.  However, I risk criticism of some that you might be encouraged.  

This isn't about Terry and it isn't about you.  It is about us believing our God to the point that we would pray that He would help all of us...together...to reach the whole world.