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The Challenge of Seeming Failure
Devotional Thought/Discussion point of the day”
10 In my life in union with the Lord it is a great joy to me that after so long a time you once more had the chance of showing that you care for me. I don’t mean that you had stopped caring for me—you just had no chance to show it. 11 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. 12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. 13 I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Philippians 4:10-13 (TEV)
One of the conversations during my trip on the mission field, was about the harsh reality of ministry, how the dreams of how it would be can come crashing down, when we face the daily grind on the field. When the results we long for, do not come to fruition right away, or even after a year or two. For young people in ministry, this can be a hard lesson. It doesn’t always get easier either, and far too often I have known the feeling – could I be more productive for God’s kingdom in another place? Could I do things differently? It’s easy to get caught up in visible results – and loose hope. This is most certainly true when it seems we have to teach the same lesson, repeatedly, year after year, month after month, heck – sometimes in the same Bible Study or counseling appointment.
Despite what Paul is saying – it is hard to be content with life at times – and that means it is also hard to be content with life in the ministry at times. This is true for pastors, and it is true for those one the foreign mission field, and I suspect it is for all of us.
After all, don’t they know the treasure we have? Why don’t people respond like on the day of Pentecost? Isn’t that the way it is supposed to happen, with hordes of pagans coming forward to be baptized, to be cleanse of their sins, to win the battle over the anxiety and fear caused by sin, satan and death’s bondage over them?
As I “re-enter civilization” (though I found China far more civilized than the USA) I wonder about my own ministry. Why can a church in China respond in months and be 500 plus people, while mine hovers in the 50’s? Is it that my people don’t treasure and trust in God’s love enough? (and if they don’t – does that mean I am a failure as a pastor?) Is there something wrong with what we are doing? Could there be a place where I am more productive, is there a pastor that would be more productive here? All those questions run through our heads, and I witnessed that in China, among those serving God there as well. It is easy to get disillusioned, disheartened, it is easy to let our minds run wild with questions….
Those questions occasionally need to be asked. But not in the darkness of night, not in the times when we are alone, when Satan can even more draw our attention from God’s presence. We do need to consider what we are doing, how we do it. But that shouldn’t be such that we feel condemned – but focused, energized, our vision clarified, our hope in God renewed….and ourselves content with the place and situation where God has put us.
That is the purpose of self-evaluation, it why we do it in the light of day, in the presence of God, with strong advisers who are willing to invest themselves in helping us. We especially focus, not on our work, but on the mercy of God – on the very thing we treasure, for the reason we started to serve others, either as a lifetime, fulltime vocation, or just as part of our regular day. We have to look to Him at these times… for there the shadows and doubts are dismissed by His glory, and we see things as they are.
Once again, I find some.. help focusing at the end of my devotions…in the words of someone familiar with both the successes and seeming failures of ministry.
“You must be careful: don’t let your professional success or failure—which will certainly come—make you forget, even for a moment, what the true aim of your work is: the glory of God!” (1)
Now, let’s get back to working at our Father’s side. Depending on His power, His mercy, His love…..
Godspeed
Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2576-2577). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
God really needs our help? Yes..
Devotional Thought of the Day
13 “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.” 14 But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? 15 And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! Romans 10:13-15 (MSG)
674 Our Lord wants to make us coredeemers with him. That is why to help us understand this marvel, he moves the evangelists to tell us of so many great wonders. He could have produced bread from anything… but he doesn’t! He looks for human cooperation: he needs a child, a boy, a few pieces of bread and some fish. He needs you and me: and he is God! This should move us to be generous in our corresponding with his grace. (1)
A long time ago, in a place very far from where I am sitting in China, a young boy was asked by his dad to help him build the stone walls that would line their yard. His head in a book, he was reluctant, until his father begged him to come help. What he would do for his dad – was find the small stones – maybe 5 – 10 bounds that would fit the holes between the 20-60 pounds boulders that his dad would put in place. He would occasionally stir the cemenet with a small trowel, so that it didn’t harden to fast.
As a child I always wondered why my dad “needed” my assistance. Now as a dad, missing his son a lot while on a trip far away, I understand the need. It’s not for the minor assistance, it is for the company, the fellowship, the ability to be engaged in something together. It is what my friend Mike calls “that R word thingy”. Relationship.
I have friends who will undoubtedly look at the title of this blog and react – God doesn’t “need” our help! Our people don’t have to be evangelists within their vocation – at least not actively. Doing a good job will be enough, we aren’t all called to make disciples.
They are wrong, but I think for the wrong reason. God could make evangelists out of stone. He could paint the sky with the revelation of His love. But what if, He wants, He desires, He needs our “cooperation” in His work, for another reason… the same reason my dad would call upstairs and say, Dustin – I need you… come help me build.
Such is our call- a call to work besides the Creator of All, to see His work, up close and there.. as He builds His kingdom….
Such is our blessing today….
SO go – and tell the world of God’s mercy, and love and peace.
AMEN
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2480-2484). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Today is the Day…. (gulp) please pray!
Devotional/Discussion thought of the day:
Fifteen hours from now, I will board a airplane and head west…into tomorrow.
When I get to my destination, I will get to meet with Christians, to preach and teach and hear how God is with these people in a land foreign to me.
Have to admit – while I am looking forward to the experience, I also have a bit of trepidation, and more a sense of “why me”. Some of you know that feeling, when God brings you to a place that you aren’t quite comfortable with, that you do not feel perfectly equipped for, that you think – “can’t God find someone…. better, someone wiser, someone more trained and equipped, someone more charismatic, or.. just someone else!”
I have heard all the cliche’s, (and unfortunately, ashamedly, used them once or twice…) You know the “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called” type of nonsense. God knows what He is doing, of that I have no doubt, but we are trained, our lives have come to these moments, and the Spirit is working in us. Yet…. the trepidation still remains.
In such times – it is good to look at those that went forth with the gospel in scripture. (Ignoring the obvious fact that in the Old Testament most of them were killed…. and in the New Testament… yeah…same problem) Paul writes often of the partnership he had with those who prayed for him.
Ephesians 6:19 (ESV) 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (don’t look at the next verse… okay – at least I won’t.)
Colossians 4:3-4 (ESV) 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ESV) 1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, (again, the next verse… well uhm…yeah – don’t look!)
And of course, as I did my usual light reading this morning at the end of devotions, I came across:
664 During a war, the courage of the soldiers facing the enemy would be of little use if there were not others who seem to take no part in the struggle but who supply the fighting men with armaments and food and medicines… Without the prayer and sacrifice of many souls there would be no genuine apostolate of action. (1)
In a real way, you are that supply line for me, you are those whose prayers are as much part of my mission trip, as anything I do, anything I bring. Knowing that some of you are praying will remind me of Christ’s work in us, and prayerfully, in the people I minister to. So, obviously, I am asking for your prayers, to still my soul, to help me reflect God’s love, to be able to do what Paul and Isaiah described so well:
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. Colossians 1:27-29 (ESV)
4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:4 (ESV)
May these things, be true of my ministry overseas during the next 2 weeks… and may God’s grace be evident – with you, as well as with them.
Thanks for the prayers!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2442-2445). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
The Power and Mean to Accomplish Great Things
Discussion/Devitional Thought of the Day:
I used to have big dreams of doing great things. When I was my sons age,I dreamt of being a president like Abraham Lincoln, just a few years later – a priest whose sermons would change the world, like some of those I read about in school. Time and distance changes some of those dreams, and some of us have left dreams behind. I do not think today I could be a politician, never mind a president – the public is far too mean – and doesn’t respect the office, or the burden it carries – and being a priest – well,…..
But does that mean we have to give up trying to accomplish great things?
Or do we realize how great the normal things God calls us to do are? Like loving our neighbor, like helping those who find themselves without the ability, even for the moment – to help themselves. It is my opinion, that visiting someone who is a shut in, or sitting by a stranger at church is worth more than 10,000 facebook forwards, or eating at a restaurant whose owners are undersiege.
Even greater, forgiving that adversary, working to reconcile a couple of friends, telling someone of God’s grace. These are the great things… things that take sacrifice, things that may actually cost us. And that gets to the point of this entry, the thing I would have us discuss- how do we accomplish the greatest things in life?
One author put it this way:
” The means? They’re the same as those of Peter and Paul, of Dominic and Francis, of Ignatius and Xavier: the cross and the Gospel. Do they seem little to you, perhaps?” Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 1151-1152). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
The Cross and the Gospel – the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross – that is where our sins our forgiven. The cross which we are linked to in our baptism – where we were united to Christ’s suffering and death, that we would be untied to His resurrected life. And of course in the Feast where we know that sacrifice In this cross – where God comes to us and transforms us – they are the means by which God enables us to do the great things He has planned for us to do.
And the Gospel is that same “means”. The incredible news of God’s love, of His mercy, of His grace. The news that He has come – and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, even as we will one day share in it.
Comprehending that through the cross, through the gospel, Jesus comes to us, bonds us to Himself and changes us – it is in this that we find our strenghth, our life, our hope…. and the power and means to accomplish the greatest things, the very things God has planned from long ago to do… because He has sent you to do them.
One last thought from St. Josemarie, a prayer:
“Lord, we are glad to find ourselves in your wounded palm. Grasp us tight, squeeze us hard, make us love all our earthly wretchedness, purify us, set us on fire, make us feel drenched in your Blood – and then cast us far, far away, hungry for the harvest, to sow the seed more fruitfully each day, for the Love of You. Amen! ( Escriva – The forge)
