so I’m just sittin’ here thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’! when God created man “in His own image”, He created us as human beings, right? and I believe it states in the Word that He also created us for fellowship with Him, right? in my 20’s and 30’s i was about as involved in church work as a person could be: i was church pianist, sunday school teacher for youth girls, I taught the preschool choir, sang in the adult choir and was a soloist with the choir; i taught adults in sunday night classes (called “church ?---can’t remember, but it was part of the Southern Baptist Convention programs); i was on the pastor search committee once; i was weekday education program director AND 3-year old teacher (are you impressed yet?) eventually my husband became youth pastor, so i often did things with the youth program, including summer trips and youth mission trips! i mean, it makes me tired typing it all out. but I knew at the time i was really racking up on those “brownie points with God”. surely He had to be impressed with my sacrificial acts of service, wouldn’t you think? when i told my pastor i was getting married, guess what he told me? (THE NERVE of him!) he said, ‘well, Lisa, you need to pray about all you are doing in the church, and narrow it down to one, maybe two things, because you will now have a different priority-a husband-and that’s where God wants you to spend more of your time. wait a minute! you mean to tell me i had to quit doing all these things i was doing and was pretty sure i was good at, all for the Lord, for a husband? maybe i should reconsider this marriage deal (just kidding!) but….who would do those things if not me? then my pastor had the gall to tell me God would find someone else to do those tasks. talk about a blow to the ego! fast forward a few years….i went from the ridiculous to the sublime, and was doing nothing in a church for several years. but guess what! that was just fine, because i was happier and more fulfilled than i had been in a long time. wanna know why? because our sweet Lord finally revealed to me (rather, i finally shut up and heard Him!) that He created me to be a human BEING, NOT a human DOING! WOW! what a revelation! the world would go right on without me! how freeing! all God has really ever sought is an intimate relationship with me, His daughter, His princess, His pride and joy…and nothing i have ever done or will ever do can or will make Him love me any more or any less! He loves me for ME! i realized then that i had been making a ‘god’ (little ‘g’ god) out of doing things in the church for GOD (big ‘G’ God)! yet, His Word says that “thou shalt not have any other gods before Me!”. now, let me put a little disclaimer here lest anyone think i am totally off my rocker: God has given me talents, abilities, and gifts that He DOES want me to use for Him in furthering His kingdom; He does have some things for me to do. yet, only when I am walking daily with Him and in right relationship with Him, can and will He use me to do those things He has planned for me to do! i guess it boils down to priorities and choices, now, doesn’t it? i’d love to hear your thoughts on this….just wonderin’!
Friday, January 30, 2009
so I’m just sittin’ here thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’! when God created man “in His own image”, He created us as human beings, right? and I believe it states in the Word that He also created us for fellowship with Him, right? in my 20’s and 30’s i was about as involved in church work as a person could be: i was church pianist, sunday school teacher for youth girls, I taught the preschool choir, sang in the adult choir and was a soloist with the choir; i taught adults in sunday night classes (called “church ?---can’t remember, but it was part of the Southern Baptist Convention programs); i was on the pastor search committee once; i was weekday education program director AND 3-year old teacher (are you impressed yet?) eventually my husband became youth pastor, so i often did things with the youth program, including summer trips and youth mission trips! i mean, it makes me tired typing it all out. but I knew at the time i was really racking up on those “brownie points with God”. surely He had to be impressed with my sacrificial acts of service, wouldn’t you think? when i told my pastor i was getting married, guess what he told me? (THE NERVE of him!) he said, ‘well, Lisa, you need to pray about all you are doing in the church, and narrow it down to one, maybe two things, because you will now have a different priority-a husband-and that’s where God wants you to spend more of your time. wait a minute! you mean to tell me i had to quit doing all these things i was doing and was pretty sure i was good at, all for the Lord, for a husband? maybe i should reconsider this marriage deal (just kidding!) but….who would do those things if not me? then my pastor had the gall to tell me God would find someone else to do those tasks. talk about a blow to the ego! fast forward a few years….i went from the ridiculous to the sublime, and was doing nothing in a church for several years. but guess what! that was just fine, because i was happier and more fulfilled than i had been in a long time. wanna know why? because our sweet Lord finally revealed to me (rather, i finally shut up and heard Him!) that He created me to be a human BEING, NOT a human DOING! WOW! what a revelation! the world would go right on without me! how freeing! all God has really ever sought is an intimate relationship with me, His daughter, His princess, His pride and joy…and nothing i have ever done or will ever do can or will make Him love me any more or any less! He loves me for ME! i realized then that i had been making a ‘god’ (little ‘g’ god) out of doing things in the church for GOD (big ‘G’ God)! yet, His Word says that “thou shalt not have any other gods before Me!”. now, let me put a little disclaimer here lest anyone think i am totally off my rocker: God has given me talents, abilities, and gifts that He DOES want me to use for Him in furthering His kingdom; He does have some things for me to do. yet, only when I am walking daily with Him and in right relationship with Him, can and will He use me to do those things He has planned for me to do! i guess it boils down to priorities and choices, now, doesn’t it? i’d love to hear your thoughts on this….just wonderin’!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment