You mean – I CAN’T do it all???

Dec 17 – No Doubt

All right.  I’m going to ask a lot of you today – if you would, read 1 Corinthians 12.  Go ahead.  Read all of it.  It’s not THAT long. 

The heart of the matter as I see it is found in verse 27 which says “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  It sounds so brilliantly simple – God has blessed each one of us with different gifts and we are meant to use those gifts together.  What’s so hard about that?  Here’s my struggle with that whole thing – I fully admit my weaknesses in the body of the Church (all the believers everywhere together) but I don’t admit it within my own ministry.  Let’s look at an example -

Let’s say that someone is born and raised as an athlete.  Eventually, they find out that they are much better at football than baseball so they let go of playing baseball and concentrate on playing football – the thing they are really gifted in.  But what if that person, now designated a “football player” expected himself to be good at every single position on the team?  He played quarterback and did it well but then thought that he should be able to stay on the field as a defensive lineman and then stay on the field as a kicker and then trade off with someone to be a running back – and then he got mad at himself when he wasn’t good at everything.

That’s what I did.  I expected myself to single-handedly meet every need the youth group had.  I had the title “youth director” and I thought that meant I was supposed to do it all.  But no.  I am one part of the body.  Still.  Even in a specific field of ministry.  I am Keri and Keri has strengths and weaknesses that work with other people to accomplish goals for the kingdom of God.  My strengths will help build weaker people up and my weaknesses need support and supplementing from other people’s strengths.  Just like always.

(I want to offer a caution in this as well - Often, when I discover a weakness, I will acknowledge it and then assume that God wants me to just trust Him to provide.  Sometimes, that is the case and I will be the first person to point out that God LOVES using our areas of weakness to show His strength.  That being said, however, my recent discovery was realizing that I expected God to provide to the exclusion of wisely asking others for help.  Try not to make my mistake.) 

What about you?  What are your gifts?  What are your weaknesses?  In what areas do you expect too much of yourself unfairly?  Where in your life do you see people filling in the gaps for your weaknesses – and where do you see your strengths helping other people as well?

Interdependence is so much harder than we think.  Praise God we are created to work together.

Hallway Horrors – A Change in Conversation and Loving Like Jesus

Sept 10 – The Power of Jest

The verse for today is one of my favorites.  I think it came in most handy in high school when I had to work on keeping my conversations positive, and I wish I had had it in middle school when joking quickly turned inappropriate or vulgar.  The magazine gives you part of it but here’s the whole thing:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  – Ephesians 5:3-4

Um, how hard is this to do???  “Not…even a hint”?  In today’s world, that’s practically impossible!  That being said though, we are chosen by God to be His holy people.  The word “holy” means “set apart.”  Sure, everyone else at school or on TV might be diving into sexual immorality or making fun of people or bad language but that doesn’t mean that you need to – set yourselves apart for God by living as an example in the way that you talk with your friends.  Take on that challenge to remove all of that kind of language and conversation from your daily life. 

One day this week when you’re hanging out with your friends, I encourage you to stop and listen.  Is the majority of conversation negative?  Vulgar?  Filled with sexual jokes or swearing?  If this is something you feel convicted about (feeling guilty with the desire to change), consider what it would take for you to stop participating in that with your friends.  I’m not asking you to stop talking to them or even to say anything to them about the things they talk about, but take responsibility for you and clean up your act.  Don’t be surprised if people notice and be prepared to share with them that you’re trying to make your language pleasing to God and uplifting to other people.

 

Sept 11 – All Alone

The girl who wrote this story has walked a difficult road.  Not only did she have a baby in high school, something which requires swallowing a lot of pride and great emotional strength, but she also faced the cruel abandonment of her friends.

There are so many issues and struggles people go through that seem to drive away friends who don’t know how to react or who are too fast to judge.  Some people might struggle with depression, other mental illness, pornography, self-injury, or same-sex attraction.  Others may have gone through a pregnancy at a very early age, had an abortion, or experienced abuse.  Some may have gone through the death or illness of a parent or close friend.  Any or all of these things have been known in the past (and present) to shame or isolate the very person who is already hurting.  When we surround the people in these situations with love, we recognize the hurt they have been through and demonstrate our willingness to walk through their struggles with them, giving them the hope and assurance that they are not alone and have someone to lean on when times get tough.  Even though it may be hard for us (and for them) and even though they may mess up along the way, our hope-giving love and understanding in the midst of these situations can literally save someone’s life. 

In John 8:1-11, Jesus’ wise words save a woman from being stoned (killed by having rocks thrown at her) after she had an affair with someone’s husband.  There are many lessons to take away from this story but what I wonder tonight is if anyone walked with her after Jesus rescued her.  Did some woman from her village take her hand and tell her she would help her as she fought to change her life?  Did anyone love her enough to say “Yeah, I know what you did, but you’re after a different life now.  How can I support?”  Would I have done that?  I wonder.

Ask God to expand your heart to include the people who struggle with things you don’t understand.  Pray for the wisdom to know when to reach out and the courage to follow through.  It’s one of the best ways I know to “be Jesus” to someone.

*Sidenote:  The verse from today is what the Hebrews verse from last week quotes.  Deuteronomy 31:8b says “[The Lord] will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.”