Discovering What God Can Do All By Himself!
Due to Gwen’s recovery from hip surgery and my near heart attack just 3 weeks ago, I felt the Lord telling me to take one month off from all public ministry just to rest and recouperate from what has be a very difficult season for us. To maintain an ongoing evangelistic ministry such as ours requires a lot of “behind the scenes” work that many never see. When back home in the office for limited days between ministry engagements away, we are constantly busy scheduling our itinerary over the phone with pastors, writing newsletters and ministry updates to our partners who help support this ministry. We also are busy making airline, motel and car rental reservations, in addition to packing and unpacking our suitcases several times a month. The list of “busy work” goes on and on. At any rate, when the Lord told me to stop and clear our ministry calendar for one month of all public ministry, it was a big step of faith for us. The majority of our financial support comes from my speaking engagements. Honorariums and love offerings are received at the services where we minister. I always thought that I had to work hard to “keep the ball rolling” and if I didn’t, the ministry would not continue. To the contrary, as I stepped back from doing all the stuff I usually do, the Lord has uniquely provided for all of our needs and more, and in ways that we would have never suspected. Some pastors received unsollicitaded offerings from their congregations in our behalf. Individuals who we do not know, upon learning of our need to take a month off because of health issues, have sent some large gifts in the mail. One pastor friend told me that he believed that this will be our best month financially this year! One of the things I have learned from this experience is that if I don’t ever stop doing everything I always do for God, I will never see the handiwork of God, I will never get to see what God can do all by Himself! Our constant “ministry activity” does not leave space for God to “show us great and mighty things that we have yet to know” or discover. (Jer. 33:3) While we may be gifted to accomplish much for the kingdom we must remember that God does not and never will need us. We will always need Him. He alone will always be our Divine Enabler, the One who generates His gifting in us to make us effective servants. Without Him our ministry gifts are fruitless, like a motor without gas or a sail boat with without wind. May God help us to on occasion, step back from doing what we always do to make life happen for us, that we might discover what God can do all by Himself!
ROGER SMETS