Is it Time for You to Accept the Ministry You Never Wanted?
One of the most wonderful, glorious, and happiest realities of serving a supernatural God is that we are not in control. At times that can feel scary, but spiritual adventure is one of the best things about being a believer when we get used to it. God has an agenda, and a brilliant way of calling us forward. I’ve talked to so many satisfied servants of God who tell me the powerful ministry they are a part of is a ministry they never envisaged or even wanted. Is it possible God is calling you to something powerful, something your life experience has uniquely prepared you for? You might think your fall or hurt is disqualifying, but what if it’s the very avenue through which God will use you to bless many others?
Lisa and I get to talk to a lot of people in ministry; many are famous, while others are little known. Among the most inspiring, though, are those who have been given “the ministry I never wanted.” It’s a repeated pattern we see all the time.
I recently finished a fabulous book (Love without Exceptions) on the need for the church to welcome those with disabilities, not just in the sense of “we want to give to you and help you” but with the recognition that those with disabilities have much to teach us. It’s a chronicle of various ministries and testimonies of those God has called into this sphere. The most common message you read is, “I never saw this ministry coming, I never wanted to be a part of this ministry, but it’s where God led me.” Maybe it was because a family member became disabled; perhaps the writer herself faced a disability. In the passion to address what was going on (or not happening), voilà, a ministry was born.
My friend Darell was a great athlete, big and strong, and charismatic. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his twenties, and it progressed somewhat rapidly. He went from being able to bench press 400 pounds to having to use a cane to walk, and then a walker, and then a scooter, and now a motorized chair. Darell was huge in youth ministry, running with and after kids, playing sports, but now he spends his time doing what he calls “the ministry of sitting around.” There was a time when he parked outside a coffee shop, on the sidewalk (there were tables and chairs all around) and made himself available. God brought people to him. Sometimes, with little kids, his chair became a point of inquiry. Others saw him sitting there day after day, sensed the deep well of wisdom and faith, and struck up a conversation. Darell never envisaged or planned a “ministry of sitting around,” but it’s a powerful one.
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