what is God teaching me

September 18, 2010 12:08 PM

Wow, 3 days have gone by already! No way! Let me go over quickly what happened.

I got an avocado the size of a football! It was delicious

I drove down to Port-au-Prince in a bus and picked up a team from MFI (missionary flights international). It was pretty cool.

I started working on my grandparents newsletter. If you asked me 2 days ago I would say “I don’t want to talk about it” but now its almost done so I am happy.

I only have 9 days left here. And I think I am starting to see what God is teaching me.

Since the time I arrived here I have realized more and more how much I don’t rely on God. I tend to get distracted with other things. Little things seem to get in my way, I become “too busy”. When I realize I need to spend more time with God, my day becomes packed, distractions come, or I fall into temptation.

It seems that every chance I have to refocus is plagued by distractions, and once I have mastered ignoring those distractions, a whole new set of distractions come. Its like a line from the movie Elisabethtown (I watched it when I was sick, and I don’t care if it’s a chick flick, I liked it) “if its not this, it would be something else”. How true that is. “If its not this distraction, or temptation, it would be something else”.

I don’t think at any time we are going to have it easy. It’s not easy to stay focused on God and depend on Him. There are always going to be things pulling us away from Him. I have been learning how much I have to mentally seek after God, and physically make time for Him. I am learning how to push past distractions and stay focused on Him and His will.

Sometimes the distractions can even things that are good. It could be teaching, leading a small group, leading worship, mentoring, etc. that pulls you away from God. These things (if you are too involved) can have a negative impact on your walk with Christ. A wise man (I cant remember if it was Andrew Schwab from Project 86, or Jimmy Ryan from Haste the Day) once told me “Ministry is the overflow of personal devotion”.

That means that Ministry is not being a Youth Pastor, Missionary, or Worship leader- those are only jobs. Ministry is the outcome of when you are devoted to Christ, letting Him work through you. What we now call “Ministry” can become just a job if you aren’t devoted to God. In John 15:2 it says that those who bear fruit- He prunes. I read a little bit of taking care of a vineyard, and the vinedresser was talking about how the vines usually produce flowers in the spring. He said they are beautiful blossoms and they smell nice too, but every spring he goes out and cuts off the blossoms, because- although the flowers are attractive and smell good they suck the nourishment that would go to the fruit. So things that appear to be good, and are even “good” things can suck the nourishment that belongs to the fruit. What is fruit?

Galatians 5 says that fruit is from the Spirit, and that fruit is; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. This fruit does not come by the flesh, but by the Spirit, and no matter how hard you try to possess these positive characteristics you can’t. The works of the flesh are evident, and they are against the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says the flesh and the spirit are at war, or opposed to/with each other. Real fruit then is the Spirit working in and through you.

So when God prunes you, it is so He can work in you more effectively, without pretty flowers getting in the way. There may be things that He takes away because it is inhibiting you from Gods potential for you (even though these things may be good). Sometimes leading worship can take so much time and preparing, that it distracts you from spending time with God- Prune. Sometimes you are doing so much ministry that you don’t make time to talk to God- Prune. Sometimes you care so much about helping people that you are distracted from what God is teaching you in YOUR life- Prune Sometimes you are so involved in helping others grow, you stop seeking to grow yourself- Prune.

Right now I think I’m being pruned a lot and it’s not cause I am doing a lot of “good” stuff, it’s just cause I’m messed up.

Over and out.