Okay, this is definitely not the norm, but then again, neither was this evening.
My first team this year really spoiled me by spending hours in the evening talking theology, sharing life stories, encouraging one another in the faith, etc. HOURS!! They loved to talk and share. I knew this would not be the norm for most teams because many of my other teams are (by average age) considerably younger than that group. I could not think of a better way to begin a year of ministry than with mature adults who were still anxious to learn, share and encourage one another.
Anyway, back to this evening. Noah went to bed early – he didn’t want to, but it was obvious that his temperature was going up and he was not feeling well. The rest of the team sat at the dinner table until 8:30 – yeah, 8 college students sat around for 2 ½ hours talking. The rain outside helped with that, but still, I am not sure at 18 I would have been interested in sitting still that long.
The discussion went from humorous to silly. It included elements of the day, their lives back home, and college stuff. As is often the case, we discussed dating and marriage, love and respect, seeking God’s best and God’s direction for life before seeking a spouse – many of my favorite topics. As I began asking about the day we had today, thoughts of what they had seen and heard flowed from the students. They asked hard questions – like – what do we say to people who don’t seem to have enough food, clothing, or adequate shelter? We wrestled with the truths that we know like – God loves them, God will provide for them – and asked about those it seemed that God had forgotten. But this is where things got real interesting.
One of the girls who normally is very talkative and interactive got very quiet. She eventually began, with tear stained eyes, to talk about the frustration she experiences with serving God. It seems like she can never do enough. Like there is always more to do. And she is overwhelmed, tired, even exhausted in the service of God.
What a joy it was to talk with her about the example Christ is for us. In Luke 5:15, Jesus fame is being spread abroad, and crowds are gathering to be healed and to hear his wise teaching. However, Luke records in the very next verse that Christ’s response to these ever growing crowds was not to minister more, minister faster, minister with greater intensity and efficiency, but rather He would “often slip away to the wilderness to pray”.
Christ has given us a model for ministry that works – stay in touch with the Father, talk with Him, and let Him do the work through you. How freeing this model is! I do not need to work to gain His approval. I do not need to earn His merit at all – rather, I need to know what He is doing and focus my efforts on what He is going to accomplish.
What a great reminder it was for me. Thanks be to Christ who through His perfection has given me a standing before the Father. Thanks be to Christ who modeled for me what being a true disciple of His looks like. Thanks be to God for His gracious gift of Jesus Christ – not only on Calvary to save me, but also to record His life that I might know how to live.
It was a great night.
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