The side of my life I don’t speak much of in this public arena, is the great rewards and heartbreaks of living and loving out the Gospel in ministry and service to others. For some, what The Preacher and I do day by day may be considered a profession, but for us, it is truly a calling and a conviction.
John Piper has described it this way: “If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.”
I have never known this truth more greatly than I do in this season of my life.
You don’t have to be a church minister, a mentor, a counselor, or a Bible scholar to know the weight of Piper’s insight here. You must merely consider the truth of God’s Word as more important than your own, the healing from His hands more transforming than any bandaid, and the timing of his provisions the only schedule that matters.
And, can I just say: It’s worth it.
I cannot share the stories, the lives, the heartaches, and the many victories of everyday people who count the cost and walk the road of discipleship. But, really, you know the stories already; they are your stories. They are the daily lives of all of us who’ve hurt and been hurt, who have loved and lost, who have known clarity and confusion alike, and all of us who have waited upon the Lord for rest and found Him faithful.
There is rest for each of us today. Because He is the author of our salvation and the end to all our striving, we can know rest today…we who need the reminding, and we who are called to do the reminding.
He knows just where you are today, and what you need.
REST. Be at rest.
Our Father is more merciful than we allow ourselves to believe, more loving than we understand, and more faithful than we will ever be. That’s how we know we can rest today.
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Hallelujah!
Bless your heart; it Is indeed worth it!
Love your last paragraph. He is able to do so much more than we could ask or think!
So encouraging. We are experiencing so much hurt this week in our ministry, but know it is all worth it. It seems as though Satan has won, but we are just in the middle of the story, God’s timing is perfect. I am so thankful for your blog. It is all right where I am at right now. I am enjoying going back and reading some older posts as I have time too.
Shelley-Thank you so much for your honesty. I will lift you up this evening as you indeed have yet to see what the Lord has in store. Thank you for connecting here. I’m so humbled.
Ruth,
Thank you for your encouragement. The Lord truly uses you to reach so many! Thank you for this blessing. I am at work now, and am experiencing much turmoil from some co-workers for some time now, for who knows? I had to confront one today to stop being so hurtful to me. The Lord is gracious and forgiving, and I must be too. I still hurt and need to REST in Him. Thank you for this beautiful timely reminder.
MaryJo: I will pray that you have rest today…true rest in the gracious love or our Lord. It’s the only kind of rest that truly satisfies. And…He’s the only one we can please.
fantastic piper quote! and i agree, it is indeed so worth it. i love how you say that yes, we know the stories already. i find it hard (sometimes awkward perhaps) not being able to share so much of our life in ministry in this medium. but you are right, if you are living in community and in fellowship with others, you do know these stories – including your own – and what an amazing blessing that is.
our own ministry season right now has seen it’s share of pain and hurt but also joy and hope as we figure out what living in this community looks like and what showing true hospitality to each other looks like.
so encouraged to have come across your blog.
Kate- thank you so much for visiting, and for your comment. Community is what the Lord intended for us, and yet, it is one of the costliest ways to live out the Gospel. People’s lives (including my own!) are messy…but how great He is for allowing us to be a part of the story in each others’ lives.
Our Father is more merciful than we allow ourselves to believe, more loving than we understand, and more faithful than we will ever be. That’s how we know we can rest today.
How these words resonate with me today. Thank you for the encouragement to rest in these things. I have been praying for you in these last weeks–though our lives only intersect through a mutual friend, I see the Lord at work in two states in such similar ways. And, what an encouragement that is! The Lord is indeed good and more merciful than we allow ourselves to believe.
Laurie. thank you fo praying. God IS at work! You have been on my heart as well, and I’m eager to see the Lord’s continued faithfulness in each of our lives.