Today I met with a 32 year old man with a wife and 4 kids. He is currently pastoring by Chicago and was actually in line to replace a longstanding pastor at his current church. This church is healthy stable and having solid ministry yet God gave this pastor a sense of unrest. Through several God-Sized situations, conversations, and open doors this pastor is heading to Gillette Wyoming to plant a church.
For the typical person reading this allow me to fill in the blanks here. This means leaving a stable salary, home life, and ministry to step out into the unknown. This means raising money ugh! This means no church building, people, nothing. Starting from Scratch. Starting a new ministry. I got to thinking on my drive back across the vast WYoming prarie with wind whipping my car and my praise music on high. I thought that there is no way any man can do this task successfully. In fact I would dare say planting a church from a urban and suburban area to a rural booming mining town is border line insane in human terms. Then it hit me.
"GOD IS AT HIS BEST WHEN WE COME TO THE END OF OURSELF."
When I come to the point that "I" am no longer able to do things on my own and the "only" way ministry or life will happen is through God then I am truly trusting in Jesus Christ.
How many times have you come to the end of yourself and had to rely on God for the impossible. This could apply to your marriage, parenting a strong willed child, seeking employment, or dealing with relationships.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Ah now I am begining to see what this verse truly means. Keep this man in your prayers and be willing to allow God to make you step out of your comfort zone so that HE can make a impact on the world!
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3 comments:
Sometimes I struggle with this verse... Because even though "I no longer live" it sure seems like there are some sinful parts of me that are alive and kicking whenever I least expect it! Is it a promise for the future, that I'm moving toward as I seek to live for Christ?
Thanks for writing that P.K. It's good to reflect on the concept that Christ lives in us. I agree with 'rab' that it really doesn't seem like it, and if He's within me He's probably not too comfortable a lot of the time.
God's word, Christ's words, are always as deep and hard to understand as you want to make them. They can be taken on the surface and have meaning and help, and they can be studied under a microscope and have carry with them the very complexity of the Creator Of Everything.
A lot of the time I stay away from the microscope and just take things as I see them with the eyes of my heart. A child can even understand it that level, and I'm not too proud to say that's often where I belong.
I no longer live refers to putting off the old self. This speaks of the union with Jesus Christ which creates new life in the eternal sense for the believer. No longer do I live for myself condemned to eternal death but I the life I live I live with the future hope of eternity.
PK
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