and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet…. (1 Ki 19:16).
Dear friends, it’s time to get over ourselves.
My own mind has certainly been tampered by the culture. It’s push to be someone of importance and make a name for myself. Yet, there is this little shepherd’s field that my Lord is calling me too. It’s the place where He is wooing me to come and sit with Him to simply learn how to be still, to listen intently and to care well for the sheep.
I used to think that ministry was about building programs. Now I see that I was wrong. Ministry is about building into people. It’s about passing on what I know about God to them and helping them grow into His likeness. Ministry is about disicpleship.
It’s not about what I have to show for myself. Quite frankly, those big ministry programs I once had were really just places where I started to lose myself. Now I’m realizing that I’m finding a whole lot more of Jesus in the midst of these times where I’m learning how to be still and enjoy God. Not because I’m finding my success in what I do, but because I’m finding my delight in being His.
For many years I was so insecure that the thought of sharing the ministry with others felt much too threatening. Now I see that my role as a leader is not to take the hill and expect people to run their way up the mountain to join me, but instead to learn how to invest in them down in the valley and walk with them on their journey.
Whatever ministry you lead or serve in, remember, please, that you are replaceable. That was a tough one for me to grasp for many years. Quite honestly, I didn’t want to be replaceable. It hit a part of my ego that made me feel inadequate and less important. Now I see, through the fruit of other leaders whom I deeply respect that multiplying myself by sharing ministry and empowering others to lead, so that someday, if God would will for it, they might replace me is the calling of every Christian.
After all, I think we’ve got it partly wrong here in the church. Jesus never asked us to lead big programs. He showed us how to Shepherd, care for and invest in people. If our church programs keep us from doing that, than we need to reevaluate our motivations.
Lord, I am your servant. I long to be used by you and for you. I want to invest my life into more and more people. Use me, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.
Heather Quiroz 