On Monday night after babysitting for a really fun couple I got the opportunity to pick their brains about some things I was a little confused about. This turned into one of the most enlightening conversations I've ever had! It started with their questions of how I enjoyed New Years Conference in Chattanooga, TN. I began to explain to them how it was great but that for some reason I left a little discouraged and a bit befuddled. It began with a misunderstanding from months ago. To make a longer story short my confusion stemmed from a lie that infected my mind. It was not because of anyone else, just my own sin and the opportunity Satan saw to try and deter me from God's plan for my life. The lie was simply this; If I am not fit for evangelism in a specific ministry here in the states, what business have I in going overseas to do missions..? Again I will state, no one ever told me such a thing, but when discussing my future with well loved and trusted friends this is how my sin tainted the message. The couple helped to break it down for me that that was never the intended message. See, I had been walking around for a while thinking that I wasn't going to be as effective for God's kingdom because I wasn't primarily gifted in evangelism. After talking with this neat family, they helped me see that to think I'm not gifted in evangelism is not only unbiblical but completely false. God has gifted us all in evangelism because it is the mission of the Christian (Matt 9:36-38, 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). There are different ways God has wired us up in how (not if) we are gifted in evangelism.
How has this played out in my life? Well, since coming to college I have been involved in a campus ministry. I love this ministry and stand behind it with full support for what they believe and their mission. As with a lot of college ministries because they are working with college students it has a small window to impact the campus. Ministries like this often have to operate in semesters, and school years, and only getting to invest in some students for no more than 4-5 years. Therefore, the ministry is extremely fast-paced, and God is faithful in how he moves in and with them. The way the Lord has wired me up is a little different. I can share my faith with people for weeks, months, even years and see very little to zero fruit but can still maintain and pursue a relationship with that person (not to say the ministry can't, just differently). Its relational, its walking life together and that takes time. And what I've come to realize is that neither is better or worse, they are just different. And there are surly more than just these two. What's more exciting is that God still wants to use me to impact his Kingdom, I know not yet what that means or what it looks like but I'm to faithfully walk with Him and into His Good works He has laid out before me.
I feel like this may have been a bit vague and my point may be fuzzy so here's the bottom line: The point of this post is that I hope it encourages you the reader. If you have been feeling confused, discouraged, maybe even bitter that your personal ministry doesn't look like "so and so's", or you may wonder even doubt that God can/wants to use you in His harvest, take heart dear friend. God is a big God and he intricately designed you before the foundations of the world, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and He didn't make any mistakes. Just because you may or may not be a "good fit" for one thing doesn't mean you don't fit anywhere. You just need to seek out other areas that may be your better or best fit.
I may not be "wired up" for some types of ministries but maybe God wants to send me to a big city to live and work in a community to take the gospel to co-workers, or maybe he'll lay another country on my heart to live longterm among the people there. Or maybe I stay where I am for a while and invest and serve the local church. I don't know what or how He wants to use me, but I have promise after promise written on my heart that He will.
Isaiah 52:7 talks about how beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news. It matters not the size or shape of feet, but that the feet come.
Peace and Love Beloved
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