iShineInMinistry

Romans 12:3: For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…

Do you ever get frustrated when you are at church, trying to get a task done and one of the volunteers stops you in your tracks because you are attempting to enter a “restricted area”? They are doing their duty in the ministry they serve in by making sure that people are not just wandering about, but you are on staff and can be in that area. As you sweetly tell them you are on staff, do you get a little irritated and think to yourself, “Don’t you know who I am?” Of course you are allowed in those places, but they may not know it.

Do you sometimes think that teachings don’t need to be taken to heart when they have a heavily convicting message since you are already on staff at church and considered a leader? Do you not really listen to some of the wiser ladies on staff as they kindly try to show you things because you are ‘just as important’ as they are?

Have you just said no to all of these questions and do not really want to admit that we are all sometimes prideful because of the position that God has so graciously allowed us to serve in? Let’s have a little heart check!

Philippians 2:3-8 (ESV)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

First off, we must remember that we are serving the Lord as leaders- we are not elite. We are being obedient and exercising our spiritual gifts; however, we are still sinners that have been saved by grace that can do nothing apart from the Lord just like the people we minister to. Sometimes we just need to get over ourselves- ha!

Second, we can easily be replaced and someone else can be raised up to do the work of the ministry. God can do just as much, or possibly more with another obedient heart…especially if we do not stay humble. We know that we have a certain personality that is a blessing to the women we minister to, but there are so many ladies that have the ability to meet someone where they are at just like we can. We have to be mindful of the fact that God is very much able to work through any person that says yes to the call of godly service, not only us.

Lastly, this is a privilege and an honor. We sometimes start to indirectly have the mindset that we are doing God a favor by allowing Him to use our ‘fabulous selves’. We need to be thankful everyday, let those volunteers do their job and be kind to them even when they don’t know us. W should be gracious and teachable in every moment so that other godly woman can help us continue to grow as we walk in faith and serve in spirit and truth. We should ask God to continually search our hearts…and when He reveals something, fix it! We must not dismiss or try to talk our way out allowing God to help us in that particular area we need to work on because we have enough ‘good things’ that balance out to make the other heart issue insignificant in our eyes. We are all works in progress so let us continue to let God do the work He started in us.

We have not arrived…we have answered the call to serve. Let us be humble, kind, loving and faithful examples of what it truly means to serve the Lord. Our ultimate desire is to be please the Lord, not our image or egos, so let us all be mindful of this as we serve.  Hearts and Hugs!

Are you serving and getting a little puffed up because God is using you so mightily? Please be careful and also allow someone to help hold you accountable. Pride always comes before the fall and we never want to be in that place as women in leadership.

Psalm 42:5 (NKJV)

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

I know that we typically do not want to admit these moments, where our minds begin to ‘out-logic’ the truth of God’s faithfulness; but we must be honest in those times where so many things are going on that seem beyond all control. We feel like it is so difficult when everything around us looks like nothing could possibly change. The truth of the matter is that God is still in control, He still rules and reigns; He still makes all things work together for good. We know this practically, but when we are counseling that lady, encouraging that struggling high school girl, or helping that newlywed fully understand the new season of life she is in, sometimes situations seem so far out of our reach that we put God in a box and think He sees the problem in the same small frame that we view it.

Those times of fretting make us forget that God is in control of each and every detail of our lives and the lives of those that we get to serve in ministry. Why do we allow our finite understanding to make us feel like situations are completely beyond anyone’s control? God is not confined by the limitations that we as humans have; moreover, God is gracious enough to do a work and show us how able He is to make the impossible happen. If that were not enough, the Lord even lets us be part of the beautiful miracles that happen as He does a work in those desperate situations.

We need to remember the truth of how big the God we serve is in those moments where the situation looks beyond repair. Let us all put our ‘big girl pants’ on, start fervently praying and wait for God to move in those hopeless moments. Let us hope in God and praise Him in the middle of that myriad of life’s troubles that cloud over the ones we minister to. God is working it all together and we need only trust in His truth, love and timing while we diligently serve Him by helping those He places in front of us.

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

Are you ministering to someone whose situation seems hopeless? Are you covering that situation in prayer and trusting God for the impossible? Remember that God is sovereign!

James 1:4 (KJV)

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

I am not good at waiting for things to happen and right now I am about ready to throw a princess tantrum. I'm sure we all have those moments when we begin waiting nicely; but then as time continues to pass and nothing appears to change, we lose heart, get just the tiniest bit annoyed and wonder if God has decided to go to sleep on our boat (see Matthew 8:23-25).

Are you waiting for an answer to a prayer right now? Would you like to see your best friend get saved? Is your job situation making you a little less than joyful? Has that 10 pounds you have diligently tried to get rid of still lingering? There are so many things to wait for, so many reasons to just be over it (in our minds) because things are not going as fast as we hoped they would, but please do not give up yet.

The process of getting from point A to point B gives us so much insight on how the Lord is molding us into the women of God He plans for us to be. Those moments when all we want to do is go to sleep, eat a pint of mint chip ice cream or be done with our calling just happen to be pinnacle moments. We can choose to faint not and look for the things He is trying to show us. We can cry out to Him and ask for help and comfort. We can praise Him after we get that princess tantrum out of our system. He knows our thoughts, pains, joys and desires anyway, so we need not think He has no idea what we are thinking when we are sick of the situation we stand before.

Take some time alone with the Lord to let Him know that you need His help, wisdom, discernment, guidance and more faith to trust Him as you feel ready to give up and move on to something easier. He will help you let patience have its most perfect work, so you will not miss out on the amazing things He wants to show you through this process (and bless you abundantly once you get to the finish line of this season). Listen for His still small voice to direct your heart and your path. Let Him be your hope and strength. Do not be 'over it' yet...God is doing a work and you don't want to miss the finished product of it all!

Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NKJV)

“Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it the Lord is His name: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

What season in life are you 'over' right now? Will you cling to Jesus and trust His plans for your life? Will you allow Him to show you great and mighty things during this process?

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Jeremiah 12:2

You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;

They grow, yes, they bear fruit.

You are near in their mouth

But far from their mind.

We love when the people of God that we minister to seem to just 'get it' and do what is good in the sight of the Lord. They seem to understand the blessing of discipleship and want to get to that next level in their relationship with God. We do Bible studies, pray together and may even share similar interests or hobbies.

They love spending time and just having a close relationship...great things begin to happen in their lives and as they hear of our testimony, the joy from our hearts spreads; they want an amazing walk with God that grows more and more as they take steps in faith.

Somewhere along the lines of discipleship we must remind ourselves (and keep reminding ourselves) that the goal is and always will be to make disciples of Jesus. Might you be spending time with someone, pouring into their life and making them more into your image? Is the fruit they are bearing a mimic of the things they admire about you? Are they drawing closer to God? Are they turning into a clone of your walk with God? What fruit are they really bearing?

As we spend time ministering to and mentoring other ladies, we need to be careful that our heart's desire is always to make them draw closer to Jesus. Sometimes our pride can even get the best of us and we feel flattered to be thought of so highly; but we need to always search our hearts and let God reveal our motives when we are raising up ladies and being Titus 2 women. The best thing we can ever do in the lives if the people we serve and disciple is help them grow in faith as they walk with the Lord. Let us all remember this as we pray, encourage, counsel and bless the people we minister to...the best thing we can ever do is give them more of Jesus and let them bear true fruit as they grow in their faith.

John 15:1, 4 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

What fruit are the ladies you disciple bearing? Have they become mirror images of your walk with the Lord? Are they bearing true fruit, abiding in Jesus? How can you be mindful of this as ladies admire your relationship with God, so that you always point them back to Him?

Luke 12:48

…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…

I don’t know about you, but I find that I have a very ‘active’ (translation busy) life. There are so many tasks, commitments, duties, chores and assignments that seem to come from every direction. I am sure you feel the same way. We are working, serving, living, running errands, helping others, taking calls, praying with friends in need, going on tea dates to encourage someone, the list can keep going! These are all great things to be doing and of course we love blessing others and keeping our lives ordered since God is a God of order. But, do you ever look around and feel like you are moving in fast forward compared to everyone else? Do you sometimes wonder, “How come everyone else seems to have less things going on?”

We never want to be playing the comparison game, but when the same people we notice have less also observe and ask why we are ALWAYS SO BUSY, we do begin to wonder. It may seem overwhelming at times, or we may want to take some things off of our plates; nevertheless, we know God has specifically called us to those things, so it would be disobedient to get rid of things just for the sake of doing less. God is the one who is equipping us to do the multitude of tasks and ministries that are set before us, so we need to answer the call and get to it!

Think of it this way, God seems to have gifted us in some unique ways, now we get to be used for His glory, as humble vessels, ones that get to serve others and encourage the body! We are allowed to be one of the members of the body of Christ that works with all of the other parts to make His perfect plan come to pass. Yes, we may hit the pillow quite hard at the end of the day after getting to do so many wonderful things; but we would much rather be tired from doing the things God has called us to than other meaningless, trivial things in life. What a blessing to be used by the Lord, have the opportunity to serve Him, then be able to lead by example and trust that God is going to show up as He calls us to do the work of the ministry!

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good…

Do you feel like you have much more to do as you serve the Lord? Do you feel honored that God would allow you to be part of so many things for His glory? Be blessed that He doesn’t need us for His plan, but is kind and gracious enough to let us receive gifts and use them for His glory!