I have been reading, "Preventing Ministry Failure" by Michael Todd Wilson and Brad Hoffman for the last couple of weeks. The first few chapters challenge the reader to understand their calling, manage their time, and protect their relationships. Reading these chapters was a true wake-up call to me. As I read these chapters and thought about their significance, God led me through a progression of experiences over the last week that are truly God-moments.The first experience was a planned vacation with my family (Protect My Relationships). This was not a major vacation, but a small weekend getaway to retreat and recharge after a very busy semester of school, work, and ministry. As we vacationed, I realized that I was not retreating, relaxing, or recharging. I was exchanging. I exchanged one group of activities that consumed my time and thoughts for another group of activities that consumed my time and thoughts. Halfway into the "vacation" I realized that scripted vacations are not compatible with my personality type. A true vacation for me is a vacation with nothing planned. In order for me to relax and not feel pressured to "keep a schedule" I must not have an itinerary of any sort. To me, this is something strange and a little scary. The idea of not being productive with my time seems inherently wrong to me, and is something to which I am resistant; nevertheless, the conclusion I reached is that this is a requirement for me to rest.
The second experience was total lack of cellular service and communication with the rest of the world: no phone, no internet, no newspaper no TV, no radio (Manage My Time). Initially I found this extraordinarily irritating, however, about midway through I stopped missing the technology and started appreciated the simplicity of communicating to those around me, rather than trying to reach those involved in separate activities. This spoke to me on a very personal level. My wife and I spent a significant effort pursuing the vocation of foreign missionary. We had a heart, and still do, to move overseas and join another people and share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ with them. God has revealed to us in His way that for now, our calling is stateside. In my love for missions I have found that I frequently read and focus on foreign missions, eventhough I am aware that God has closed that door for a season. What a waste of time this has been - spending countless hours lusting after other ministries instead of embracing the ministry God has called me to and equipped me for.
The last experience was truly a God-moment. We stayed at a campground at Roosevelt Lake that had a playground for children. During our vacation my children were playing with another couple of children who were also there on vacation at the playground. The played on a slide and teeter-totter together and had a wonderful time. The last night of our vacation at the campground I spoke with the Father of the children my kids had befriended and was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was an Assembly of God minister. Tim is a friendly, kind man who was gracious to share part of his journey with me. In his journey with God he and his wife reached a point where they decided they would move and go wherever they were called. He sent out quite a few resumes and received one response; that is where they moved and served. Tim's story is not unique, but the timing and conclusion of his story was unique. God used Tim at that church as a youth minister for several years and then Tim was called to Pastor another church. God called Tim, God used Tim, then God used Tim more in a different way.
In a sermon I preached recently over Isaiah 7, I spoke specifically about verse 4:
Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. (NKJV)
I used this passage of scripture to describe the struggles and fears in the world as two burnt-out matchsticks from the perspective of God. To God, these two mighty armies coming to take Jerusalem were nothing more than two brittle, burnt-out matchsticks.
What I didn't discuss was why. God has an eternal vision and perspective. God understands how things look to us today in there here and now, but He also understands their significance from an eternal perspective. Rezin and Remaliah had powerful armies that were positions to take Jerusalem. They would kill King Ahaz and establish a new King and then lead Judah into war. Can you imagine something like this today? Two great powers uniting to come against your country to kill the leadership and place their own people as leaders over you and then force you into war?
Then in verses 7-9 God says that none of what they (Rezin and Remaliah) attempt will be accomplished. He sees their efforts and understands what fuels their work and labels them burnt-out matchsticks.
To contrast this event of insignificance, God describes an event of incredible eternal significance in verses 14-15:
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.(NKJV)
Armies approaching to kill and rule, burnt-out matchsticks. Virgin gives birth to a baby who is, "with us is God", eternally significant.
Our goal is to be fully in the moment we find ourselves in. To be attentive, aware, and focused on the relationship we have, the time we have, and the eternal significance of the events around us. Battles will come and go, but Immanuel is constant and eternal.
Will you join me in turning off the browsers, turning off the phones, and focusing on those around you, sharing with them Immanuel.
-dRo
