WILL I EVER LEARN TO LET GOD BE IN CONTROL?

I wish I could learn a lesson once, and then just follow it. Instead I seem to have to make the same mistake over and over, until I realize "oh yeah, I went through this before". 

I feel like that right now, and it relates to my Spiritual Formation ministry at The Mission. 

There have been occasions in the past when I have worked and worked on something in ministry and wondered why I wasn't seeing the results I expected. I was working hard and had the best of intentions but the breakthrough I was looking for wasn't happening. God had to bring me to the point of understanding that my best efforts weren't what counted. Ministry can only succeed when God is at work. When realized that and gave it over to God amazing things happened. This is a very important principle, and because of my experiences I have taught it to people far and wide.

Apparently that doesn't prevent me from falling into the same trap again and again.

My job at The Mission is to encourage and help people to grow spiritually. It's a really important job and I take it seriously. Over the past year I have worked diligently to teach and preach and write and organize all kinds of things to help that to happen. I've pursued what I thought were some pretty good ideas, and the response to many of these has been positive. Still, I can't escape feeling a bit of futility, asking myself "is the spiritual growth happening?" There are some positive signs, but I'm not a patient person and nothing ever seems to happen fast enough for me. Of course in my head I realize things like this take time and I will have to exercise some patience. Still, I have to ask, "Does God have more that He wants to do?" My answer is "absolutely!" The hard lesson is that it's not going to happen by me working harder or smarter.

I would love to see every single person at The Mission reaching their full potential in their relationship with God, but my best efforts aren't going to make that happen. It will happen when God is at work. That doesn't mean I should sit back and do nothing. It means I must allow God to be in control. It means I must faithfully follow His leading rather than simply pursuing my own "good ideas". And I must daily commit to Him the things that I can't accomplish.

Classes, sermons, conferences, and whatever other programs we can come up with won't create in people a desire to grow, and without that desire the best programs in the world will have little impact. Only the Holy Spirit can encourage in someone a desire to grow in their relationship with God. 

The things we want to see will only happen when God is at work. Here's something we must understand. God is not a follower. He insists on being the leader. He will step back and leave it to us if we insist on pushing Him out of the way or fail to let Him be in control. So how do we see God at work? We pray. 

I don't mean to say there has been no prayer. I pray about this fairly often. Others in the congregation pray regularly for the church and it's people. What I am saying is that it's time for us to go beyond a kind of token acknowledgement of God. It's time to take prayer from somewhere down the list of things we do, and put it at the top of that list.

Do we want spiritual growth? Let's pray.

Do we want to impact our community? Let's pray.

Do we want Godly leaders led by God?  Let's pray.

Do we need more workers? Let's pray.

Do we need resources? Let's pray.

Aside from a few people who are called specifically to a ministry of prayer, most of us have to actively do things in addition to our prayers. So I'm not suggesting we sit back and wait for God to wave His hand. He could do that, but for some reason He wants us to be part of the process. So we serve to the best of our ability, but only while constantly acknowledging God's leadership, our dependence, and our willingness to place Him and His plans above our own. I am recommitting to that personally, and in response to how I feel God is leading, I am calling on the people of the Mission to make that commitment as well. 

The essence of my prayer is something like this. Maybe you would adopt this kind of prayer as well.

"God, I thank you for calling me to serve you and for entrusting me with the responsibilities that come with that calling. It is a privilege to be your servant. The job you have called me to is a great challenge. In fact it is impossible for me to accomplish without you. So please forgive me for rushing ahead and trying to do your work on my own. I acknowledge once again that this is your ministry. The control is rightfully yours, and my role is to serve however you may lead. I want to see your will accomplished, and I want to do my part in the process, but I am totally dependent on you. I need your guidance, I need your enabling, and I for sure need you to do the spiritual work I am not capable of doing. So Lord, please take control of my ministry at The Mission. Help me to not run ahead of you, but give me patience to to await for what you will accomplish in your time. I am expecting great things at your hand."