"I've concluded that the people who move in real strength and power in this world, the people whom God delights to exalt, are those who are over matched in life and know it. It is those who don't know it or refuse to acknowledge it, WHO will eventually find themselves in deep trouble."
I'm over-matched . . . and believe me, I know it! The amount of ministry going on right now scares me. I'm overwhelmed with the needs in my own congregation, the needs of the people coming through our doors for help, and the needs in my own personal life.
In the margins of my bible, I found a statement Pastor Joel Phillips said way back in the mid '90's. It reads, "if you're not experiencing God's presence and provision in your life, you may not be empty enough!!"
In other words, in order to experience God's fullness, you need to be empty. Empty of self gain, empty of the things that drive us, empty of wrong motives, empty! That's a frightening thought isn't it? The world tells us that if we're empty, something is wrong. However, in God's economy . . . empty is a good place to be. Empty means that we realize we have need. We realize we don't have the power in ourselves to do much of anything! Empty means that we've finally laid down everything we do in our feeble attempts to gain the accolades of men. Empty means that we have admitted to ourselves that anything we can drum up in this life for satisfaction isn't enough to hold us and doesn't bring peace.
Once we get to this place of emptiness, being truly laid bare in the presence of God with empty hands raised high in worship, then we have come to the place to receive from God in a way of being filled to the brim and spilling over. It's in this place of vulnerability, transparency, and hunger that we are filled.
These last couple of weeks my church has been experiencing the provision of God in a new way. We've begun 3 new mission ministries one of which I will highlight here. First, we've opened a food pantry to the public where we buy food from the food-bank and give it away free once a week to those who are in need. Secondly, every Friday, we are providing 2 days worth of food in grocery bags for 117 children in the elementary school free lunch program so that they are guaranteed to have something healthy to eat on the weekend. And, lastly, we are now offering a free after school program for the families of our school district as a means of filling a gap. They lost some funding so, they had to cut back a day of after school care. We picked that day up! With 20 children in the program, it takes a lot of work from a lot of people. These parents are all saving money because of it, which only helps them in this season of economic hardship. But, it's in this time of hardship that churches hurt too, giving is always down, attendance is always in decline and our "bottom line" is affected. The world would say this is NOT a time to take on new projects, especially when these projects have little or no hope of financial return. We are NOT doing this to grow our church, that is the wrong motive! Our intention is just to obey God to be a missional church. But, some would look at our bottom-line and say "you're crazy!" I look at our budget versus our income and say . . . "Lord, God . . . we're running on empty!
Ahhh, but today I realize that running on empty is a gift from God. Running on empty means an outpouring is coming. It means that God's provision and God's presence are in process! As we, enter God's presence we WILL find God's provision!
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