Spiritual formation can happen, without saying a word.
We were given this article to read during our New Testament Survey course yesterday. It's really an excellent article. This passage in particular really caught my attention:
When a piece of our land is renewed, Gail and I are always surprised at the beauty that occurs almost overnight. Wild flowers appear; forest animals visit; good trees mature. The virtues of creation just seem to appear. And when the soul is similarly attended to, there appear the virtues of godly character.It was a very captivating article. Personally, I think I'm starting to identify with William Booth. Been leading a video production team for the HopeKids camp, and the biggest problem I face is myself. My utter inadequacies and so on. It's so beyond me that I groan inwardly to God - "Dear God, what on earth am I doing this for heaven's sake?" But praise God for Shunrong, Yufen, Kin Wee, Guanzhen and some other friends. :)A frank opinion? I don't think a lot of men and women in leadership know this. I mean really know it. What drives my opinion are these impressions.
First, the primary subject matter of most training and motivational conferences on leadership seems to be all about vision, about clever, well-researched programs, about growing large, successful institutions. Admittedly good stuff. But missing is the recognition that soul cultivation goes before institution building. How do you grow large, healthy, and authentic churches (the current rage) without growing the soul of a leader, which sustains the effort over the long haul?
A second impression: the dreadful casualty list of men and women who do not make it to a tenth anniversary in Christian ministry. Burnout, failure, disillusionment are exacting a terrible toll. I'm amazed how many ministers just disappear, drop off the edge.
A third: the constant conversations I have with younger men and women who confide that they are spiritually dry, unmotivated, despairing, and wondering what to do about it.
...The forming of the soul that it might be a dwelling place for God is the primary work of the Christian leader. This is not an add-on, an option, or a third-level priority. Without this core activity, one almost guarantees that he/she will not last in leadership for a life-time or that what work is accomplished will become less and less reflective of God's honor and God's purposes.
In his twenties, William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) wrote a letter to his wife, describing his feelings of discouragement and ineffectiveness. He was close to quitting, he said.
Catherine, a remarkable woman, wrote back: "I know how possible it is to preach and pray and sing, and even shout, while the heart is not right with God. I know how popularity and prosperity have a tendency to elate and exalt self, if the heart is not humble before God. I know how Satan takes advantage of these things to work out the destruction (if possible) of one whom the Lord uses to pull down strongholds of his kingdom, and all these considerations make me tremble, and weep, and pray for you, my dearest love, that you may be able to overcome all his devices, and having done all to stand, not in your own strength but in humble dependence on Him who worketh 'all in all.'"
As far as I can tell, Catherine was 23 when she wrote these words. But she was not too young to "get it." William's spiritual core, she understood, was the key to everything.
And thank God truly, this passage from Scripture encourages me whenever I groan to God about my weaknesses:
Romans 8:26:D Amen!
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Reminded right now of a dear friend who's initiating an overseas project to help migrant children. Am greatly inspired by this friend's heart for God, and also her fellow Christian friends who are supporting her in prayer. As one of them encouraged, "I have faith in God... Mark my words, this project will be a success."
Whoa!
*inhales hard*
Charmaine went through with us in the class about the history of Paul the apostle. And one thing that struck me was that Paul didn't immediately jump into missions or start leading a church, but he first tarried in Damascus, where the Lord himself personally instructed Paul, and later on, in his hometown of Tarsus for a few years.
So I was thinking, what did Paul do during these times of tarrying? Methinks he was being strengthened and prepared by God first, before God would send him to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles.
I was also thinking about my own life.
Like what I shared with Jonathan: Only after 10 years as a Christian am I finally mentoring a younger brother. I had been wondering why so long, and crying out to God to show me what was wrong with me, that I would have been 'spiritually barren' for so long.
And a dear friend shared with me back in 2005 that she had been observing me, and wondering what was wrong with me that I wasn't taking care of a 'sheep' even after many, many years. So in a way she started judging me subtly. But she said that God corrected her and told her that it's not the outward form that matters, but the heart to take care of a sheep that matters in His eyes.
That sharing of hers was intended to encourage me. But that ended up making me feel even more discouraged and disappointed. LOL. Backfired!
But! That comment turned out to be really for my good. :D Because that made me cry out even more to God to give me a sheep... and to give me a shepherd's heart.
Still, God remained silent regarding this plea. He didn't show me the reason for my spiritual barrenness at that time.
But one day He spoke this gentle reminder from 2 Corinthians: "For if the willingness is there, [my] gift [to God] is acceptable according to what I have, not what I do not have." It was doubly confirmed - both during my quiet time, and when my shepherd shared the above verse with me.
So now this year I'm taking care of a sheep. It's amazing. And yet, I'm not amazed at all, even though it took God ten years to prepare me to take care of a sheep as compared to others... but does it matter? Our heavenly Father knows best what's best for us.
Because I've learnt over the years that this is how God likes to work. His general style is to prepare His people first before He calls them to service. The bigger the task that He has in mind, the deeper the foundation He'll lay first. Tee-hee! That encourages me a lot!
Thank God for my dear shepherds who, from the first shepherd to the last, have faithfully hammered into me this message that loving God with everything within me and loving people as myself are the two most important things in life, ever.
And that it is NOT the position that makes one a godly person. It is character.
And that it is NOT the skills that influence people. It is love for God and for people.
Hmm. Yup... life's about loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength. And to love my neighbour as myself. You can be a world-changer this way, one person at a time.
2 comments:
Bro ( haha pardon me for my many comments in yr blog cos i find ressonance in a lot of things u said )- amen to yr post!
One of the things my pastor preached about 2 weeks ago was about Efficacy. He said that God was more concerned with efficacy than with efficiency. Which means that what seems to the world as inefficent, God sees it differently. E.g. Incarnation & Jesus on Cross- If Jesus wanted to be efficient, He would just have called down angels to zap everyone. But Jesus came as a man and died on the cross. Inefficient as ple may see it, but it was God's redemption plan. ;)
So amen to yr post, that while it may seem inefficient to yr frens, it is definitely God leading u to do the right thing, at the right time, with the right intentions, and producing the right results! It is as what u said, character is more impt, and growin deep roots in God is more impt!
hey lois! thank God for you! no, don't worry... i am very blessed by your frequent comments. after all, the Bible tells us to encourage each other daily... :D you can never encourage one another in Christ too much!
amen! He makes everything beautiful in its time...
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