Recently I have had to pick up some roles in ministry that I hadn’t done for 7 years, and to be honest, never thought I would go back to. I was a youth pastor for 7 years, and now having been a senior pastor for the past 7 years, I am having to step back into youth ministry for a season. Although I love youth and developing them in their faith, this is not a role I was wanting to take up given I still have oversight of the whole church. It felt a bit like God telling Moses to go back to Egypt when he really wasn’t that keen on leaving his live as a shepherd with his wife and family. As I have wrestled with God about why he hasn’t provided a youth pastor for us, I began to sense that I needed to be obedient to this call for this season, even though I didn’t feel comfortable about it.
As I have prayed and engaged with God I have been pondering the story of Moses and his call by God to go back to Egypt. Moses had left that life behind and his first feeble attempt at helping his people in his own strength had ended in disaster with him fleeing for his life. Now 40 years on, he has this encounter with God in the burning bush where God directs him to take on a new/old ministry; that of rescuing his people from slavery. But Moses does not want any part of it. He argues long and hard with God about going back and gets God quite irritated. Even when God shows by miraculous signs that he will provide for him and that it is his strength that will bring the people out, Moses still falters. It seems he has become quite comfortable with his life in the dessert as a shepherd.
Jesus spoke a lot about what it means to follow him to many who declared their desire to be one of his disciples. The image they perhaps had in mind when they boldly stated their allegiance may have been one of fame, prestige, power and authority. However, Jesus quickly bursts their bubble when he begins to unpack what it means to be a follower or disciple. Their faces fall quickly as he talks about carrying a cross, giving up their wealth, giving up their family, not having a home anymore, becoming a servant, becoming the least. Just to be clear; following God’s call to discipleship is not about taking on a life of suffering to earn merit or pride; but it isn’t always comfortable either. Jesus never promised his followers comfort and ease, but he did promise he would never leave them or forsake them and he only asked them to do what he (God) had already done.
So I have been personally exercised at this time as I have had to take up oversight of a role that I thought I had left behind to change the way I am praying. Rather than praying for someone else to come and do the job so that I can keep doing what I am doing, my prayer has shifted. It has become a prayer that God would place me where I am most useful in this season, not where I am most comfortable. Part of that is trusting that he will provide for what I need and acknowledging it is his work and his strength that accomplishes anything of value anyway. So where are you at the moment? Are you where God wants you to be? Are you open to asking him to show you were he wants you for this season in the place you are most useful, rather than where you are most comfortable? It might seem like a dangerous prayer, but being in the centre of God’s will is the safest place, even if it isn’t the most comfortable.
Grace and Peace - Garry
