iShineInMinistry

Philippians 2:3-5 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Life in full-time ministry is full of amazingly unique experiences and opportunities to help and serve others. Once we get the call, we get to be used for a specific purpose that God has made just for our fearfully and wonderfully made selves. As we do the work of the ministry and get to hear praise reports about great things God did that we have the privilege to be part of, we do need to stand guard to make sure our heart to serve doesn't change from one that wants to humbly walk in this calling to one that just wants to be part of the 'elite inner circle' of being in ministry.

Obviously, we all know that there is no such thing as this elite inner circle, but as time continues and the ministries we lead begin to bear fruit, we can start to become puffed up in our excitement in all that God is doing in the area where we serve. We then think that we have gotten to a certain place where we just need to be seen at outreaches and seen around the 'right people' so we can continue to have the appearance of those same humble servants we were once upon a time.

As we continue on this path, our hearts start to want to be served as leaders rather than humbly serve and be an example of a godly leader. We have to be so discerning and make sure to always do a heart check, because once we get to this place, we may get stuck there and not be effective in a way that is pleasing to God. In these times, God can still be gracious and allow our ministries to do well, which can then allow our pride to deceive us into thinking we are okay right where we are; however, we need to get back to that place of love, where we esteem others higher than ourselves and come to serve with a sincere heart.

We need to have God search and examine our hearts often in full-time ministry because the last place we want to be is seen as a "serve-me leader" rather than a servant leader. Let's always have that humble, loving heart that wants to serve God in a way that truly honors Him, brings Him glory and gives Him the praise when He is gracious enough to allow the things we do to bear fruit. We have the perfect example of the servant leader to follow, so let's be obedient as He directs us in our calling.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart...

And see if there is any wicked way in me...

Do you truly have a heart to serve or do you just want to be in charge of things? What example are you giving to the people that serve under you and to the people you disciple? Would you want to serve alongside yourself if you were a volunteer? Ask God to search your heart to see what your true motives are in ministry....

Matthew 28:19- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…

I am sitting in front of my computer typing during one of our breaks as we host a Pastors’ conference in Mexico, thinking about all of the things the Lord exhorts us to do in our journey of faith. This week has been filled with God’s faithfulness, protection, provision and sovereign timing from start to finish and I am so glad I was able to be part of this amazing week of ministry. I was added to the trip last minute and was not on the original list of people to serve at the conference; thankfully at the last minute a spot was made available for me to attend.

My first thought was excitement that I would be able to come to Mexico, visit with the missionaries and help with all of the details of executing the conference. However, as the days drew closer, I knew that I missed informational meetings and that there were so many other things I was supposed to be doing. This realization brought a feeling of apprehension. I thought about saying ‘never mind’ about coming a couple of times (especially as I packed the night before and had so many other things to get in order before our 8:00am departure the next day), but I felt God telling me, “Just Go”!

If I didn’t go, I would not have been able to be used by God in such amazingly different ways than my normal way of helping (which is mostly administrative). I would not have received this special time of fellowship with all of the other volunteers that were able to attend and help. I would not have been able to be a blessing to the Pastor’s wives that entrusted us on the Children’s Ministry team to care for their little ones as they got to have a time of refreshing and I would not have been able to see God make a divine appointment with a deaf girl in the midst of her discouraging situation to show His faithfulness.

When God gives you a task, the first reaction should always be to ‘just go’. I know that I sometimes lean more towards planning and using the spiritual gift of administration that I have been blessed with to make sure that every single detail is in perfect order. If I would have took a step back out of what God led me to do this week, I would not have gotten to see Him bless me in a whole other way, completely different from the many times before when He has shown up in the middle of mayhem. We need to always be ready to let the Spirit lead and direct us to just go in a new direction, a sometimes-unknown direction that makes us have nothing else but faith. These moments allow us to see what an awesome and intricately detailed God we serve and then allow His great commission to be accomplished in new and exciting ways.

Proverbs 16:9- A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Do you 'just go' when God directs you to do something? Are you willing to serve God and fulfill His great commission in new ways that aren’t familiar to you? Do you always lean on your own plans instead of God’s prompting when you are doing the work of the ministry?

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

God has a way of truly being our strength as everything else crumbles around us. His presence and peace allow us to look at situations with a different vantage point and look for ways that He can move in the midst of trouble. I had to come to this realization as I was in the ER waiting area for the second day in a row. Watching someone have medical issues that don't seem to want to come to an end can be overwhelming, heart wrenching and admittedly frustrating.

In the times when it feels like the mayhem of life just won't end, our hearts have to remember the following and take refuge:

Mark 10:27... with God all things are possible.”

God can make anything happen! He rules and reigns, He is sovereign and amazing, so of course we can take refuge and He can be our strength when the problems before us seem so far out of reach. He is able and we need to be steadfast, praying and asking for Him to grow our trust as He shows us new ways to believe He can do all things.

We also need to let Him comfort and keep us. He wants to be the One we always come to- He's our loving Father...

Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,Your comforts delight my soul.

What attributes of God can we meditate on while trouble looms that will delight our souls? His faithfulness, His lovingkindness, how gracious and merciful He is, even when we don't deserve it? Let those truths melt fear, anxiousness and doubt as we rest in Him.

I know sometimes we just want the storms and the troubles to be over for ourselves and the people that we minister to on a daily basis...but we need to give God the opportunity to be our strength and remind us Who we belong to. He will be ever present, waiting for us to allow Him to work.

What problem is troubling you? Have you given it to God? Do you trust that He will fix it (in His timing and not yours)? How do you also give God things that you can't control in ministry?

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

It's only Tuesday and my body is on strike, ready for the week to end. The hectic pace of life is not looking to slow down any time soon; in fact, this time is typically the calm before the active season of serving that begins in the spring! I absolutely love this time of year...my body, however, is not a fan of the late nights, long days, absurd workouts, constant running around, international travels and jet lag, which then leads to summer, more travel and outreaches and culminates in Christmas shopping (yes this season stays this busy from Easter until December!).

While driving home and wondering if I was going to just start crying as a result of pure exhaustion, the verse of the day came through my radio:

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Whatever tear shed was on its way quickly dissipated and the Lord reminded me that everything I was able to do this week, starting on Sunday, was serving. Every time I woke up early, cleaned up something, went to a doctor's appointment, met with and prayed for a high school girl and carried a post-surgery child to the comfort of the couch in her home was a way to show the love of Jesus.

Sometimes the constant of being the hands and feet can be tough in these finite human bodies. Thank God for His reminders in His word and the promise of rest as we do His will.

Matthew 11:28

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

As we labor in the things of the Lord and show the love of Jesus in every action, He goes with us. Then when it's time, He will allow us that time to recuperate and be refilled with Him.

Exodus 33:14

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Sometimes the pace of your season of ministry can leave you winded, but take heart in the fact that God has called you to be a blessing to others and glorify His name through your heart to serve, your giftings that He has placed in you and the action that He calls you to take as you see that a need can be met for someone struggling.

Don't lose heart, God is doing a work- and you get to see it first hand as He allows you to help make things happen in the lives of others.

Are you worn today? Meditate on these scriptures that remind you to stay encouraged and let God bring you rest. Ask the Lord to renew your strength and show you those times when you truly need to slow down.

Psalm 48:3 God is in her palaces;

He is known as her refuge.

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved...

Before you say, "Oh my gosh, she is totally using these scriptures out of context!" please note that I do know that "her" is referring to Israel. These scriptures also need to refer to us and how people see us as FGGs (Fabulous Girls of God). Don't you want to be known as the girl that loves The Lord by everyone who knows you? Or even by a stranger that you randomly encounter?

When people come to your office for ministry reasons or even just meet you at a cafe for tea, what impression do you want them to have? Is your heart's desire to hear someone say, "she is just full of the joy of The Lord! What faith she has!" Or is the lasting impression you want someone to have more like, "dude, she has expensive taste!"

What do you fill your heart and mind with? These are the things that will come out of your mouth the most. This is why we guard our hearts and also fill our minds with things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report and are full of virtue and praiseworthy. If these are what we focus on- the things of God, this is what we will be known for, by believers and nonbelievers alike!

I love the scriptures above because they remind me that God is everywhere I am...my home, my workplace and the ministries I oversee, my situation (whether good or not so pleasant)... Those passages also remind me to have unshakable faith and be a woman that can't be moved or tossed to and fro by every wave of doctrine. I want God's love to overflow out of me so that others will want to have that joy and ask where it comes from. I want my unsaved friends to say, "oh my gosh, that's the perfect place for you," when I tell them I work at a church and help people every day. I want God to be evident in my life.

Let's delight ourselves in the Lord each day and let Him be in our palaces (or apartments)! Let's be known as ladies that love Jesus, that are always ready to pray and that want lives that praise the Lord and serve Him with gladness.

What lasting impression do you want people to have when they encounter you? What is in the midst of your heart? Your thoughts?