This week our church is reading from Chapter 20 of The Story, which covers the narrative of Queen Esther. Our main focus of this reading will be that "when participating in the work of God, it often requires courage." It requires that we take a step out in faith.
I regularly struggle with this concept of faith. I am a planner. I will shop for weeks online looking at that product I have my eye on. I will read every review, go back and forth on buying it, read every review again, and finally decide I don't want to take the risk buying whatever it is. That is a petty example, but I have see that played out over and over in my short life.
When it comes to making a big life decision, we have dedicated ourselves to prayer, we have looked at the pros and cons from every angle imaginable, we have weighed every option and played out every scenario in our heads.
Yet God often times just reaches out his hand and simply asks us to step out on the waves with him.
In that sense, maybe my courage correlates with my trust in God. In the summer, my church will be participating in a spiritual awareness campaign called Explore God, which will raise the awareness of God in the Greater Austin Area. The main purpose of this campaign is to converse with those folks who are nonbelievers or who are spiritually curious. Already my stomach is churning with nervousness, because it is going to require that I get personal with people and talk about my faith openly with them. You might be saying "Preston, you're a minister. How can that make you nervous?" Honestly, I have no idea. Put me in front of thousands of people, I'll talk all day. Put me in a room with two or three and all of the sudden I start to feel vulnerable.
So maybe another thing that comes with courage is overcoming personal fears. That's what courage is after all. For me that can only come through God's work in me. I can't muster up that courage to do that "something" that he has called me to do without a big heaping dose of grace and faith.
I've come to this conclusion this week: our courage is based in what God has already done for us in our past. He has proven himself faithful. He has proved that he can handle it. He has shown me over and over that he is fully in control. Because of that I can be courageous.
Song Selections for 5/19
To God Be the Glory
Let God Arise
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
Firm Foundation
Thy Word
He is Able
In Christ Alone
I Know Whom I Have Believed
Soldiers of Christ Arise
Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Days of Elijah
Thank you for sharing and being open about your vulnerabilities. It makes you human! A good leader has to share things like you did. How else can those of us you speak to be able to really "hear"?
ReplyDeleteTracy
I've learned from my business that fear is the stretching of my comfort zone. And Everything you want in life (something you don't already have) lies outside your comfort zone. We are becoming the relevant people of Christ's good news when we push thru the comfort zone to share his message intimately with others.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for other people, Preston, but I think your just as awkward one on one as you are infront of a crowd :) Seriously though, I find both you and Sarah to be uniquely genuine people in all regards. I love that about you two!