The Truth about Faith

The truth is....having faith is scary. It means trusting that there is ultimate purpose designed greater than my eyes can see. It means taking action out of faith, trusting that though we may fail, God is greater.

I've been pondering over what it means to live life with others and what it means to minister to others. The more I grapple with this topic, I find that living life with others is messy. It is filled with people's junk from years and years of unfortunate life circumstances and choices. Living life together means, being willing to not only help carry someone else's burden to lighten the load, but it also means being willing to let them share in your own. Living life together means taking risks. It means being willing to set yourself up for potential persecution. Ministry is scary. I had never thought about it before, until a recent ministry demonstrated the areas of potential liability. It's important to have boundaries, to keep things safe. But, I always carry this fear, that my faith in the good of people, will come back to haunt me. Am I too trusting? Am I too naive? When I see another person in need and I want to do something, do I just have a savior complex?

What's the boundary between meeting a need and doing good/ but staying safe.

When Christ calls us to ministry, he never says it will be safe. He never says it will be easy. And he actually says we will encounter trials of many kinds. But...he also says...I will be with you always...I will love you until the ends of the Earth....and will meet your every need.

So, as I step further into ministry opportunities this year, I will hold onto the words of Christ:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

And to do so requires faith. Only great things happen by faith. Hebrews 11:30 reminds me that, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after he people had marched around them for seven days". Can you imagine, the people just walked for 7 days...tired, weary, but determined to remain steadfast in faith that God would fulfill his promises. So this year..I look forward to leading with faith and trusting in the Lord to catch me when I fall and set me back on solid ground.

I'm scared that I will not be able to handle everyone's junk. Yes, I have a degree in social work, but that does not mean I have all the answers. I pray that the Lord would continually rejuvenate me in my time in the word and in prayer, and with fellow believers. And I pray that through the junk of people's lives, the beauty and transforming power of Christ would shine through.

Lord,

I'm scared for the year ahead. You are bringing people into my path who have heavy burdens Lord. On my own Lord, I cannot carry their burdens. But, I know you can and have carried them since that day on the cross. I pray for wisdom and guidance in my interactions with these people. Lord, I just pray that you would bring each person to a point where they desire life change and desire to seek you fully and whole heartily. I pray that you would lay forgiveness on their hearts. Lord, give me the humility to admit when I do not know the answer. I want to do your will Lord, so I pray that if it be your will, I would learn to trust you more deeply and become more like you each day.

In your name,

Audrey