Something to chew on...

It is in our human nature to try to define things. We like knowing what we're doing, when we're doing it, how we are going about to do it and who we are doing it with. It makes us feel in control.

Before the Lord called me to start the Love Project Workshop, I could easily define and answer the all-so-popular question: “So, what do you do for a living?” “I'm a magazine journalist and stylist”. Easy answer. It hasn't been as simple in the past year though! My answers would vary from “I manage a job creation-project” to “The Lord's called me to start a Christian skills training organisation” to “I'm into youth development and Christian counseling” to “We produce good quality craft products from recycled fabric” - which all are true to some degree! Not being able to describe what we're doing 24/7 in a single sentence frustrated me....

During the month of October, a new ministry situation arose. It was not even close to anything we have done in the past. So, through this situation and by His grace, God revealed to me why I'm still lacking a single-sentence definition! I found the answer in Romans 8:14 “For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God”.

As God's children, our daily thoughts, actions and words need to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We are never to “lean on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). I could make it applicable to our project by saying, never to “define our functions according to what I think it should be”. What I've now come to understand is that the 'single-sentence definition' I so longed for would have taken away the spiritual and practical “flexibility” that is needed to live in and through the Holy Spirit. So what are we doing daily from now on? Applying Psalm 62:5. David wrote: “My soul, wait silently for God alone for my expectation is from Him”. We'll be praying, watching and waiting for ministry situations to arise! And when it does, with the Helper's help and by His grace, making good use of it.

The next time someone wants to know what exactly it is that we're doing, I'll probably answer something like “Oh, lots of different things! Changes every week! Whatever the Lord has in store for the day!”. And although I may never have a fixed definition, I know now that when I walk in the Spirit and in faith, God is pleased (Hebrews 11:6). And that is all that matters.

Until everyone hears,

Lizna