Monday, March 08, 2004
Problems.
I went to a youth ministry banquet over the weekend. The speaker was really encouraging. He quoted 1 Thessalonians (which we'll get to in a minute) and then he quoted an unusual source, Dr. Seuss. I cannot remember the name of the book but it was one of Seuss' more obscure titles. The main character was up to his eyeballs in trouble where he was so he picked up and followed someone else to a place where there was very little trouble. When they finally got there (through a lot of trouble incidentally) they discovered that the gatekeeper was standing outside locked out of this place with very little trouble and invited the main character to with him to a place of even less trouble. The main character started to follow but then turned around to go home to deal with the problems he knew.
Sometimes God puts us where He puts us for a reason. Lately, I have been questioning my effectiveness and whether or not I am doing any good. Then he uses things and circumstances to show us he is still at work, yes even in me.
The book of first Thessalonians is a very encouraging if you know the background especially for a church planter. Paul planted this church and had to leave in a hurry, maybe as short as three and a half weeks. In other words this church was being run by "infant Christians." It should have been a disaster, but it wasn't. Paul says they were an example to the other churches in their region. Why were they so successful? The Holy Spirit made it happen. Incidentally the Thessalonian Christians were not just rookies they were also undergoing extreme persecution.
You know sometimes our circumstances become really frustrating but that same Holy Spirit can work in us, That same Holy Spirit can take your inadequacies and your struggles and make you an example and use you to the glory of God.
Am I saying that it is always wrong to leave where God has planted you? Absolutely not. After all Paul had to leave Thessalonica, but I do believe that we need to be sure we are hearing God calling and not just hearing circumstances that aren't going our way. After all, if Paul hadn't followed God and went where he wanted to go, he'd have never made it to Thessalonica in the first place. Follow God's lead. Sometimes he wants you to go to a new mission field and sometimes he wants you to stay and fight for the souls that are around you.
I went to a youth ministry banquet over the weekend. The speaker was really encouraging. He quoted 1 Thessalonians (which we'll get to in a minute) and then he quoted an unusual source, Dr. Seuss. I cannot remember the name of the book but it was one of Seuss' more obscure titles. The main character was up to his eyeballs in trouble where he was so he picked up and followed someone else to a place where there was very little trouble. When they finally got there (through a lot of trouble incidentally) they discovered that the gatekeeper was standing outside locked out of this place with very little trouble and invited the main character to with him to a place of even less trouble. The main character started to follow but then turned around to go home to deal with the problems he knew.
Sometimes God puts us where He puts us for a reason. Lately, I have been questioning my effectiveness and whether or not I am doing any good. Then he uses things and circumstances to show us he is still at work, yes even in me.
The book of first Thessalonians is a very encouraging if you know the background especially for a church planter. Paul planted this church and had to leave in a hurry, maybe as short as three and a half weeks. In other words this church was being run by "infant Christians." It should have been a disaster, but it wasn't. Paul says they were an example to the other churches in their region. Why were they so successful? The Holy Spirit made it happen. Incidentally the Thessalonian Christians were not just rookies they were also undergoing extreme persecution.
You know sometimes our circumstances become really frustrating but that same Holy Spirit can work in us, That same Holy Spirit can take your inadequacies and your struggles and make you an example and use you to the glory of God.
Am I saying that it is always wrong to leave where God has planted you? Absolutely not. After all Paul had to leave Thessalonica, but I do believe that we need to be sure we are hearing God calling and not just hearing circumstances that aren't going our way. After all, if Paul hadn't followed God and went where he wanted to go, he'd have never made it to Thessalonica in the first place. Follow God's lead. Sometimes he wants you to go to a new mission field and sometimes he wants you to stay and fight for the souls that are around you.
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