Are You Doing What You're Told?

I was messaging with a friend earlier today, and this is part of something I sent to her.  This has been burning on my heart for the Body of Christ lately.

It makes me feel really sad when people count others in the Body as successful or accomplished because that individual has done certain things society calls "big." 

I truly believe that we should be proud of someone, admire them, give them props or accolades when we can say, "Wow, that's great that they heard the voice of God and obeyed just how He wanted them to, when He wanted them to."

Would you say to me, "Mindy, you really haven't got it together girl.  I mean, you haven't given up everything and moved away and sacrificed enough.  What you have done really isn't much...not compared to others."

I doubt you would say that to me. 

Would you think it, or can you respect me for doing what God has called me to do?
 

I think there is a lie at work telling us that if we never do anything "bigger" than live in a stupid ole little town and babysit a few kids...or if we never give up the comfort of the U.S. and move to a distraught place to serve then we haven't accomplished anything for the Kingdom or admirable in this life.

What my friend Heather is doing in Cambodia to combat human trafficking is great...it's awesome and inspiring and life-changing.

But I really think what my friend Amy is doing this week is also all of those things, even though it's "just" reaching out to a family in lil ole Countrytown, USA whose home just burned to the ground and they lost everything...while she is planning meals for a family that just had a new baby...while she is on crutches and her husband is injured and can't work...while she is going through custody issues... 

I also think Tom's Grandma sitting beside her sister's bedside today are all those things...as well as the hours I just spent praying with and teaching my sons.

Yes, I really am coming to see that any time we step out in faith and use the gifts God gives us, whatever they are, and OBEY God's voice, that is when He is pleased.  

He never meant for us to compete with others or look down on ourselves because of the gifts He placed in others or what they accomplished through those gifts.

We have no reason to be jealous of what someone else's obedience has produced because every moment of every day we have the same opportunity to obey.  And sometimes, obedience is in the action of being patient and waiting upon the Lord to tell you what to do and when to do it.  In our chaotic and busy culture, waiting upon the Lord makes us feel unproductive.

Don't compare yourself to others or get lost in frustration.  Rest in the Lord and in knowing you are obeying what you know to do at this point in time.

God's ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.  What we consider to be grand and amazing may mean absolutely nothing to Him.  If He hasn't told us to do it, our labor is in vain!

Just What is Ministry?

What am I called to do?

You've heard that question before, right?  I bet you have thought it too.

It's okay.  We definitely were created for something...something bigger than ourselves.  We all yearn for it, though it often baffles us for years.

When we finally come to Jesus, we start to understand that He created us to do this "something" that we are trying to figure out.

I totally believe that God gave each of us gifts and abilities to do very individual things.  Our gifts are meant to build one another up.  Sadly, that is not how it often goes in our modern church buildings though.

Where did we start missing the big picture?  When did we take our eyes off the purpose and put them on each other?  Why do people who are supposed to be in the same family...on the same team...working toward the same goal become so critical of one another?

And really, just what is this arrogance about in judging between individual "callings?"  Seriously?  The Word clearly shows us that we are all part of the same body, having different functions, but all equally important!

I know them though.  I bet you know "those kind" of people too.  You have heard them talk.  They are the ones who think to be anything of worth you must be the one holding the microphone.  They give little thought or props to the one who humbly cleans the bathroom (uh-hmmm...the throne) they sit upon!

Never-mind them.  It's me.  It's you.  It's every last one of us at some time or another.  Hopefully, we are allowing God to open our eyes in this day.  

True ministry is seeing others better than ourselves.  It is caring for those who are in need.  It's not about preaching well.  You can be a great public speaker with much charisma but not have true love.  Given enough time, you will start to sound like a loud, annoying, clanging symbol!

Yes, some people are specifically called to be a senior pastor or a youth pastor, a prophet, a teacher, an evangelist, or an apostle, but that never negates the responsibility of serving.

When Jesus washed His disciples feet, He was purposely showing that the greatest leader should never consider himself/herself better than those under him/her.  Jesus took the dirtiest job of washing the junk of the streets off his disciples feet.  No job was beneath Him.

I know people who have waited around for years, some who are still waiting, not doing much of anything because they just "know" they are supposed to be leaders in the church.

Then there are men like my husband.  Tom has known the call to leadership was upon him since he was a very young man.  He even ran hard from it for a long time!  Every church we have ever walked into, our leaders have recognized it upon Tom.  But never did he just go assert himself to any position or sulk because he didn't feel he was being used to his potential or try to convince a leader that he was something great.

Tom takes honor and respect, obedience and submission very seriously.  I know few men that I admire like my husband.  Has he messed up?  Yes.  Many times over he has failed me.  But I have never had anyone else in my entire life admit wrongdoing and ask for my forgiveness so quickly.  

My husband serves me.  He looks for ways to honor me.  He listens to me, and he learns what will bless me.  He doesn't sit around waiting for me to do his dishes or cook his food.  He doesn't get angry at me when his clothes aren't clean or his shirts are not ironed.  He doesn't try to demand things of me or manipulate me.  He doesn't throw things up in my face, try to one-up me, or belittle me.


He loves me.  He lays down his life for me...in little ways, every single day.  Would he take a bullet for me?  Definitely, without a second thought.  The real test, however, is when he walks in the door from work and just wants more than anything to take a nap, and instead, finds another boost of energy to be an involved dad.


Ministry is not being in the glamorous spotlight, having all eyes upon you.  It's choosing to die to yourself and lift others up.  Ministry is becoming less so God and others can become more.  It is recognizing what God says your priorities should be and being willing to do whatever needs done...no matter how much your flesh doesn't like it!


What were you created for?  God simply yearned for relationship.


What are you called to do?  Love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.


You may stand before a crowd and speak for Him, but perhaps you may only sit before a few.  Realize, child of the Most High God, yes, you are called to "the ministry."  Every person you encounter is your ministry.  It is your honor to show them love.  True agape love is an action...an act of service...ministering to another.

REJECTION!

Man, rejection hurts!

No matter what form it comes in, it just hurts, doesn't it?

Sometimes it's not even real...just perceived.


I am pretty sure I have run the spectrum on rejection.  I have been blatantly rejected.  I have definitely thought I was being rejected.  I have rejected others.  I have even been rejected without people making a flashy thing...you know the quiet slip away rejection...the fade out!

I've been shot down for speaking my thoughts...looked down on for not having certain things...despised for the things I am good at...ridiculed for something I was born with...

I've been mocked behind my back...I've been teased into tears...I've had my character slaughtered in a book...I've been called things I'm not...I've been accused of things I never did...


I've said things that wounded...I've thought things that I shouldn't...I've gone along with others to save my own face...I've criticized in my heart...judged in my arrogance...


Yep...I've been around this rejection bend!


Why do we reject?  Because we are insecure and feel threatened in some way.


Why do we feel rejected?  Because we are insecure and feel threatened in some way.


Either way, the root is:  we have believed lies...lies the enemy has assaulted us with to destroy us.


The enemy takes great joy in their battle tactics.  The Devil and his army love to watch us hurt!  They study us and look for our vulnerable areas and then shoot their fiery arrows straight to our hearts!


WAKE UP!  STAND UP!  LOOK ALIVE AND ALERT!


Identify the lies and replace them with God's truth.  Regain your hope and trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  

Our security can't be found in positive thinking.  No amount of money or nice cars, clothes, houses, or plastic surgery can fill your heart with security.


Jesus knows rejection.  Our rejection looks like, "I'm rubber, you're glue..." compared with what Jesus walked through!  He was tempted in EVERY way we are.  He went through it first and to the uttermost just so we could have a Savior Who can understand!


When I walked through the hardest season of my life...when the worst was being assumed and said about me...when I thought even my husband had joined sides against me, Jesus spoke to my heart and said, "There is NOTHING you are going through that I didn't go through first.  This battle is not yours, it's Mine."


That rhema word from my Redeemer didn't make everything go away or feel instantly better, but it gave me peace in the midst of the storm and hope that my security lay with Him alone.


I felt rejection to my core, but God reached in and met me there!  I have never known a sweeter time of communion with my Lord.  He understood.  He ALWAYS understands.


In my mind, the life of Jesus flashed.  The mocking, the beating, the desertion of those He called friends, the betrayal of one who He should have been able to trust.  Jesus gets it.  He empathizes more than we have revelation of...and most importantly, He cares!


He doesn't step in and stop every bad thing that comes our way or every bad thing we throw someone's way.  Some argue, if He were really a loving God, He would...you know, bad things wouldn't happen.


I, for one, am thankful that He doesn't step in every time.  I wonder how disgustingly prideful and nasty I would be if that were the case!  No, I think it much wiser for us to be allowed to experience hurt so we never want to inflict it!


Security in the Lord is being able to stand while accusers sling their worst your way, but you say nothing in return...you trust in the Lord for your deliverance.  He is your refuge and your strength.  You trust Him to set all things right.


Rejection can only operate in your life if you are fooled by lies.  Ask God to show you what lies you are believing and to guide you to His truth to replace it!

Get Your Hope Back!

It's been way too long since a post was made on here...(eh-hmmm...clearing my throat at my husband ;).  I was sick almost all of August, but I was getting some good study time in (courtesy of Beth Moore, Kevin Leal, and John Bevere) and meditating on God's revelations!

What is on my heart today is faith!  Believing what we cannot see.  But, it's not just some wishful hope...NO, the faith I am talking about is confident assurance!

Do you base your faith-God's believability-on how He performs for you, or do you base it on who He says He is?

If you base your faith on how God answers your prayers, or His lack of answer, when you want and how you want, you will be tossed around and your emotions will have you busted and disgusted.  BUT, if you instead base your faith on who He says He is and believe even when you don't see, you will find peace that passes human understanding.

Life is never gonna be all peaches and cream, but you can get to a point where you thrive, even in the storms.  

I challenge you to begin to read your Bible with fresh vision.  Ask God to help you believe what you read...not read what YOU believe.  We have to let God out of the box we have put Him in.  We must regain our hope...our vision.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision (revelation; hope; future expectation), the people perish (rot; putrefy; give up; be undisciplined).

We have to recapture our hope!

When junk happens in our life, our hearts grow sick because our hope is deferred (Proverbs 13:12).  We feel devastated...like things can never work out again or like life is a worthless cause.  We start going through the motions, not really living, but just existing.

THAT is not what we were created for!  If our hope is not healed, we won't seek God.  If we aren't seeking God, He will not reward us, for He says He is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him!

My heart is ablaze!  I want to seek Him like I never have before.  I want to hear from Him like I never have before!  He is my answer for every problem I have!