The Expendables

He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, and human hands can't serve his needs - for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. Acts 17:24-25

I have a tendency to overextend myself... just a little! I look around at what needs to be done, and though I may sometimes get a little overwhelmed, I manage to convince myself that I need to make sure that everything gets done. After all, if I don't do it, who will?

There's a statistic I hear around the church very often: "20% of the people do 80% of the work in the church"(or is it "10% of the people do 90% of the work"?)...

The theory here is that a few committed people manage to get done most of what happens in the local church and that the rest are uncommitted slackers. There is some definite truth to that, because I think one of the greatest shortcomings in modern "Christianity" is a lack of commitment. (In truth, I fear that what really is happening is that a large percentage of modern church-goers are not really saved, but that is a matter for another day!)

Among those 10-20 percent who fall into the "committed worker" category in the church, there is a different problem I have observed. Those workers (among whom I number myself) often fall into the trap of believing that they are irreplaceable. We often commit to much more than we actually have time to do. We may commit to things that we absolutely don't want to do, taking on a martyr attitude, and making sure people know what a sacrifice we are making "to do the work of the Lord." We think that if we stop what we are doing, the kingdom of God may just come crumbling down!

Now, I don't want to imply that the things we do for the Lord do not matter, because that is absolutely NOT the case. But what I think we often fail to understand is that while God desires that we would serve Him with all our hearts, this is really more for us than it is for Him. He does not NEED us! He's GOD, remember? He can do ANYTHING He wants, ANY WAY He wants, and He does not NEED my help (or my permission!). As Paul pointed out to his listeners at Mars Hill, "...human hands can't serve his needs, for he has no needs."

So what I want to encourage you today, especially at this time of year when a few people find themselves taking on all the "seasonal work" of the church, overextending themselves, getting stressed out, or feeling guilty that they are not doing enough... Relax! Stop trying to run everything yourself, on your own strength. Take time to seek the face of God. Rest in His loving arms. Let His Spirit lead you in the works He would have you do. Then do those things joyfully, out of your love for a Savior who came to earth as a baby and gave His life for you, and not out of guilt or obligation.

God wants you to love Him, but He does not need you to work for Him. He understands that your true love for Him will motivate you to service.

Understanding that He is a big, powerful God, and I am, in a sense, expendable, leaves me much freedom: freedom to love Him more fully, and thereby to minister more effectively. ... Just a thought...

What the One Who Formed You Says...

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you... you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you..." Isaiah 43:1-5

Life has been a little crazy lately. Actually, that's not really the half of it! I have felt stretched beyond belief, weary in ways I never knew possible, fearful of the future. Life is a series of changes, I know, but lately I just long for things to be still - to calm down, if only for a moment. I find myself looking for perspective, to find some way to make sense out of confusion... I feel like I'm flying blind, moving forward at warp speed but navigation is offline, so I wait for the inevitable crash...

But it doesn't come. The crash does not come, because in spite of what I FEEL, life is not out of control because my Father has promised to be with me. I may say things are a mess, but here is what HE says:
"Do not be afraid."
"I have called you by name."
"You are mine."
"I will be with you."
"You will not drown."
"You will not be burned up."
"You are precious to me."
"I love you."
"I am with you."

I am so encouraged to know that the same God who formed Israel also formed me; that the same God who said to His children in times past, "I love you," says the same to me today.

Maybe you can relate to how I've been feeling. Maybe life seems to you a confusing mess. Be encouraged today that the God who formed you has promised to be with you. Enjoy a little rest in His strong arms today.

"You are precious..."

...Just a thought...