Commitment. Relationships. Community.
These are all words that have come up a lot recently in conversations I've been having with people.
Seems like this is the key..the missing link..what we need to be living the ministry for God.
Yet how many of us actually are living out these themes, instead of just talking about them?
So many people want to be able to commit to something, to feel that they are activity doing God's work, yet this seems to be one of our biggest challenges. Finding where we fit, where our place is, and where we can commit. We want to be in full time ministry, yet we run from things that need our full commitment, in fear that we will get tied down and fill our lives with "stuff." Where do we draw the line? When do we stop moving and finally stick to something in God's name?
"Where you gonna go? Salvation is here..."
We talk about the revival of the Salvation Army...how "our" generation is going to do something huge...that something on a worldy scale is going to take place. How can we expect to be apart of something that big, if we aren't willing to commit to something so small? Like committing to a personal relationship with God, or committing to a church, or committing to the people in our own communities?
Now, community. There's my next thing that I've been struggling with. I know that community is an important part of being a follower of Jesus, because if God wanted us to be alone He wouldn't have given us the ability to build relationships with people, and He would've made us self-sufficient. I know that I can't go down this path alone, and that the Lord will put people into my life that I will need to get me through both negative and positive situations that come along.
But something that I have always struggled with in growing up in the Salvation Army is just the exclusiveness of it all. I know it's nearly impossible to erase all lines of divisions between "groups" of different people, because everyone will always have people in their lives that they are closer to then others. But we have become really good at being exclusive, maybe even...(dare I say it)...snobby. Growing up I stayed away from a lot of church people because I just did not fit the bill of the type of people who were in my age group. Now that I'm older, I can see how incredibly God has changed the lives of so many of those people who I used to stay away from. They are passionate in their relationships with the Lord and wanting to great things. But...exclusiveness can still become a problem. What about those who still don't fit the bill because they aren't as passionate, or don't share the same views as these people?
We naturally want to be with others who will make us comfortable and who share the same views and opinions as us. But I think a part of just being a follow of Jesus, is reaching out beyond what we are comfortable with, and who we are comfortable with.
So..we need a community, people who we trust and can share with, and will help us grow in all areas. But we can't always hope to be in a community that is comfortable, that is just about ourselves.
These are all definitly just my opinions and views, and random thoughts that I have been thinking about from different conversations with people. So what do I see that needs to happen?
I think that we need people who are going to commit. And I'm not saying just in my division of the Army, but where ever it is that God is calling you to..be brave, and commit. And if God isn't calling you to somewhere other then where you are...maybe you need to look around exactly where you are right now. Guaranteed your community could probably use you. Stay strong and don't fall into the trap of filling your time up with "stuff" but instead just allow God to use you however you are needed. Only after we have commitment can we have community, and relationships. How can we hope for relationships with people if we aren't willing to commit to staying in their lives for a given length of time?
Don't just wait for someone "more" passionate to come along before you do something. If you're open to it, and just trust the Lord, you'll be equipped with everything you need for what God might be asking of you.
As my good mate Chris has been telling me (see I can use English slang too haha), we need warriors who want to get into the trenches and get their hands dirty! We need committed soldiers who aren't going to back down when a challenge or stumbling block comes their way.
Are you in or out?
These are all words that have come up a lot recently in conversations I've been having with people.
Seems like this is the key..the missing link..what we need to be living the ministry for God.
Yet how many of us actually are living out these themes, instead of just talking about them?
So many people want to be able to commit to something, to feel that they are activity doing God's work, yet this seems to be one of our biggest challenges. Finding where we fit, where our place is, and where we can commit. We want to be in full time ministry, yet we run from things that need our full commitment, in fear that we will get tied down and fill our lives with "stuff." Where do we draw the line? When do we stop moving and finally stick to something in God's name?
"Where you gonna go? Salvation is here..."
We talk about the revival of the Salvation Army...how "our" generation is going to do something huge...that something on a worldy scale is going to take place. How can we expect to be apart of something that big, if we aren't willing to commit to something so small? Like committing to a personal relationship with God, or committing to a church, or committing to the people in our own communities?
Now, community. There's my next thing that I've been struggling with. I know that community is an important part of being a follower of Jesus, because if God wanted us to be alone He wouldn't have given us the ability to build relationships with people, and He would've made us self-sufficient. I know that I can't go down this path alone, and that the Lord will put people into my life that I will need to get me through both negative and positive situations that come along.
But something that I have always struggled with in growing up in the Salvation Army is just the exclusiveness of it all. I know it's nearly impossible to erase all lines of divisions between "groups" of different people, because everyone will always have people in their lives that they are closer to then others. But we have become really good at being exclusive, maybe even...(dare I say it)...snobby. Growing up I stayed away from a lot of church people because I just did not fit the bill of the type of people who were in my age group. Now that I'm older, I can see how incredibly God has changed the lives of so many of those people who I used to stay away from. They are passionate in their relationships with the Lord and wanting to great things. But...exclusiveness can still become a problem. What about those who still don't fit the bill because they aren't as passionate, or don't share the same views as these people?
We naturally want to be with others who will make us comfortable and who share the same views and opinions as us. But I think a part of just being a follow of Jesus, is reaching out beyond what we are comfortable with, and who we are comfortable with.
So..we need a community, people who we trust and can share with, and will help us grow in all areas. But we can't always hope to be in a community that is comfortable, that is just about ourselves.
These are all definitly just my opinions and views, and random thoughts that I have been thinking about from different conversations with people. So what do I see that needs to happen?
I think that we need people who are going to commit. And I'm not saying just in my division of the Army, but where ever it is that God is calling you to..be brave, and commit. And if God isn't calling you to somewhere other then where you are...maybe you need to look around exactly where you are right now. Guaranteed your community could probably use you. Stay strong and don't fall into the trap of filling your time up with "stuff" but instead just allow God to use you however you are needed. Only after we have commitment can we have community, and relationships. How can we hope for relationships with people if we aren't willing to commit to staying in their lives for a given length of time?
Don't just wait for someone "more" passionate to come along before you do something. If you're open to it, and just trust the Lord, you'll be equipped with everything you need for what God might be asking of you.
As my good mate Chris has been telling me (see I can use English slang too haha), we need warriors who want to get into the trenches and get their hands dirty! We need committed soldiers who aren't going to back down when a challenge or stumbling block comes their way.
Are you in or out?
2 comments:
well i'm in!! And i'm proud. I also have been doing the Lords will resently in my life, though there still is more i can do. I attend a church where much of the people (practaly all) are "poor people" ones who have gotten abused, recoving alchoolics, the lesser end of the social scale. But i want to tell you this, The lords work is being done where i am, so i ask that you rejoice with me for that. but as you talked about a revil in canada or where ever, Charles spurgeon said this "a revil with die if not followed by teaching" something to that degree. we can have all the commintment in the world to our comunity and others but it'll mean crap if we dont focus our commintment on our lord and savour Jesus Christ, not only in deeds but in knowledge of him also. If you look at christ who had so much faith it was cause he knew that father, well let us do the same thing, if we want more faith let us get to know the father, spend more time with him, talk to him whenever in the day. A simple "hey whats up? can you give me a hand with this, or thanks for doing this today for me" that can go along way in growing in Christ, well it has for me. to all this they are but my thoughts. But above all i pray that your commintment to the lord may be supreme in your life. And since i dont have a blog so i post as anonymous, well i'm not afraid to give out my name, its jamie
Thx Jamie!
Good to hear from ya dude!!
Esther
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