Like many of you I have been on “lockdown” lately, which means I don’t leave the house. By God’s Grace we in SVG haven’t been hit hard by the coronavirus (twelve cases with no deaths) but the Department of Health has encouraged everyone to stay home as much as possible for safety.
Since Tuesday morning, I have left my house six times. While this is the Will of God because it keeps me safe, it is incredibly frustrating.
As a missionary I focus on ministering to people or “service” within the community. This is a healthy thing of course because it allows me to share the Gospel, disciple others, and develop relationships.
In times like this lockdown however my days have little or no face to face interaction with others.
Being frustrated by this is human…..becoming angry or bitter about it is sin.
Sometimes God in His grace brings us into seasons of life that revolve around study instead of service. While these seasons can seem like a waste, they are actually incredibly precious, because we find our identity in Christ instead of what we have accomplished.
This importance of this Season is it emphasizes deep thought, and drawing closer to God
- Time is spent reading the Word of God
- Taking part in deeper Bible Study
- Slowing down and thinking deeply about God’s Will
- Extended times of prayer
- And reading lots of books
The beauty of these activities isn’t seen overnight, which is why we (myself included) prefer a day full of ministry activities that produce results. However, emphasizing service over study ignores one very important truth.
It is impossible to successfully accomplish the work of God in your own strength
it is possible to DO the work of God in your own strength, but in the end it is GOD whose supposed to accomplish that work instead of ourselves.
A life that emphasizes service hustles from place to place doing the Lords work….but at the same time your heart is far from Him.
Maybe….just maybe God in His divine mercy is forcing spastic individuals like me to stop evaluating our ministry how many hours of ministry we had that day. And instead ask “how much time did I spend with God today?”
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