I enjoy being around people who value me. You can tell can't you? How much value people around you place on who you are, what you have to offer? I don't think I'm particularly proud or strange in this way.
Have you ever been in a group conversation but no one seems to notice you are even there? Or if you jump in with a comment, it goes ignored? No one asks any follow up questions or expresses interest in what you said...they just go on with their own thoughts and agenda, ignoring your contribution?
I don't know about you, but when I'm in that kind of a situation, I tend to withdraw and not try to speak too much, my mind drifts to other things and as soon as I can, I find a polite way to exit that group, going on to more important things or to involvement with those who recognize my value and want to hear what I have to say or dialogue with me.
My point here is not to make you feel sorry for me! :) We all face these situations. My point is for us to ask ourselves what Value we put on the Word of the Lord; on God's contributions to our meetings, conversations, even church services. How welcome does He feel to speak and share what He thinks, or add to the dialogue? When God does speak, and some kind of prophetic word is given, do we pay attention? Listen? Ask Him follow up questions in prayer? Ask Him to go further and deeper in what He has begun to say? Or do we carry on with our own thinking and agenda, giving polite assent to His Word to us, but not really taking it very seriously or deeply? Do we treat it as if it could be the most important thing being said so far (which it probably is if it is from Him)?
As a leader I have the privilege (and sometimes burden) to sit in a lot of meetings and attend many corporate gatherings. Some of these meetings don't make any space for God to speak. Some allow for that kind of "interruption" during specific slots designated for prayer or worship. Few make room for and invite His ongoing dialogue with us throughout and within all that we do.
Jesus said that if we wanted to bear much fruit, we must abide in Him, stay constantly connected to Him, continually aware of His Presence. If He is Present, He definitely has important things to say to us, and His Word is worth stopping to reflect on, stopping to meditate on and dig deeper on.
In the meetings I have the privilege to provide leadership for, I want to develop a culture that places an extremely HIGH VALUE on the PRESENCE of God among us and on the WORD of God spoken to us- both the Word of God (the Bible) and his prophetic Word spoken to us through prophetic gifts. I am firmly convinced that only as we develop a culture and habit that reflects these values will we see Supernatural Increase and Fruitfulness.
Next time He honors your gathering by being Present and Speaking to you, take time to think carefully about what He bothered to say. Ask some follow up questions to take it a little deeper and respond. He may just share more. And what He shares with you may just unlock the problems you couldn't ever solve without Him!
Mark 4:26-27 speaks of the mystery of growth in His Kingdom. "Jesus also said, 'The kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens."(vs 26) It's a MYSTERY.
This can be contrasted with another story Jesus told in Luke 13:6-9- the story of the barren fig tree. There he tells of a man who planted a fig tree and came again and again to see if there was fruit or not. When the master saw after several years that it was not fruitful he ordered it to be cut down. The gardener however asks for another chance saying he will give it special attention and fertilizer. Then if it doesn't bear fruit after that, it could be cut down. It is INDUSTRY.
Fruitfulness and growth- it is a mystery. Like the farmer in Mark, we don't know or understand how it happens- we just know all life comes from God. Sometimes when we don't expect growth, it comes. Sometimes when we feel we have done everything "right" we still see very little fruit for our labors.
I remember one time when I was planting tomatoes in my garden in India. None of them were very fruitful. Most of them died. I guess I wasn't very skillful. Or maybe it was God's fault? :) But then one day I noticed a very healthy and producing tomato plant growing out of my compost pile! What? With no effort, that seed had born fruit! Mystery. So should I give up on planting in gardens and working to get tomatoes? Or was there something I could learn from this?
Holding these two truth's in tension is important in our lives as we partner with God in releasing supernatural increase.
- First, we know that God is the only one who can make ANYTHING grow or become abundantly fruitful.
- Second, we know that God has chosen to use farmers to plants seeds and chosen us, his children, to sow the gospel.
- We also know that while we can not take credit for the growth of the kingdom in anyone's life, it is a work of the Spirit of God, at the same time we can contribute to that growth when we are wise and skillful in our partnering with God in his work in their lives, in that people group, or city or region.
It would be foolish to say to a farmer it doesn't matter at all how skilled you are, what equipment you have, or how diligent and hard working you are- the crop is all and only 100% up to God. No, that wouldn't make sense. The farmers efforts, skills and knowledge make a very big difference in his success in getting big and profitable crops! Though he can not control everything about the weather and some other natural factors...he does have the ability to influence many things and must be responsible to farm in a wise way. In many ways, his work (though all life from the seed is a miracle from God) is predictable. The right soil, the right conditions, a good seed, and he can expect good fruit. Likewise, the farmer's lack of skill, laziness or poor equipment can cost him a crop even if all the other conditions are close to perfect. True?
In the same way, as we work in the Kingdom, what we do DOES matter. Our knowledge and skills and strategies make a difference in how fruitful we are. To acknowledge that doesn't mean we are taking away glory from God at all! No, only he gives life. Only he sends rain. Only he brings about transformation in lives. Only He can convict of sin and bring someone to a place of repentance.
But we play a part. An important part. We are partners with Him in seeing His Kingdom come and in the release of Supenatural Increase and Harvest. Let's be wise, skilled and well equipped, and industrious. At the same time, we trust and stand in awe of the Mystery of God who gives life to every seed we plant or water. He is truly the one who makes it grow.
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| Worship? |
Colossians 3:17
says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” I wrestle with this verse as with the one in John that tells us that if we
abide in Him we will bear much fruit.
What does it mean to abide in Him continually? What does it mean to do everything whether
word or deeds in His name?
This past week
I was in long meetings with many wonderful leaders, my fellow brothers and
sisters. Often in our meetings we felt
the tension between work and worship, between our longing to DO things that
would expand His Kingdom and our desire to BE in His Presence, just gazing into
His eyes, where all our agenda falls away.
I heard a few people mention the balance of Work and Worship we
need in our lives (and meetings).
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| Work? |
Something
about that doesn’t sit right with me. Is
balance really what we need? Or do we
need to learn to integrate, to bring together into one action…work and
worship. Is it worship to lead someone
to Christ? Or dig a well? Is it work to sit at His
feet, listening to His guidance and affirmations of love?
I’m convinced
in my own life that the integration of this mysterious union is the pathway to
fruitfulness. As the Martha and Mary in
me become unified and learn to flow together rather than pull against one
another, there God’s anointing will be.
Let’s not try to balance work and worship, but let’s ask for God’s grace to
welcome, unify and release both the Martha and the Mary in us.
