Before you rule yourself out as not being in ministry, let’s get this out of the way. We are all called to minister to our families, friends, neighbours, city, and nations. Let’s get another thing out of the way. God is not waiting for you to morph into your favourite pastor or teacher before He uses you. God loves the authentic you – honestly, He does. Not only does He love you, He actually likes you and enjoys being around you. God created you; He delights in you. He looks at you every day and says, “That’s my kid, isn’t he or she grand?”
The people who matter most to you like the authentic you as well. May I offer this bit of advice? Would you please stop trying to impress them by being something or someone you aren’t? You wouldn’t be you if you were just like _____ (fill in the blank.) Your gifts are your own; your talents are your own. Their gifts and talents are their’s. You are not less than someone just because they excel at something you do not. I guess that if you asked them, they would admit that you far excel them in some areas.
There are plenty of toys for everyone to play with. God notices you; He’s not just remotely aware of you. God counts every hair upon your head. He is that close. The greatest confirmation of that love was demonstrated on the cross. Celebrate that you are a cherished child of God by laying down the need to compete for the attention of others or, worse yet, the attention of God. Sibling rivalry in the family of God stinks to high heaven.
“Pretentiousness repels but authenticity attracts, and vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.” Rick Warren
While it is healthy to set goals, live an authentic life right where you live today. If you feel God is leading you toward a ministry where you will reach thousands with His love, then show that love in the sphere of influence you have access to today. If you feel called to the poor in Africa, serve the poor in your hometown until the day comes that God releases you to go to Africa. Do so from a place of authenticity and humility, go as a servant of Christ and as His faithful pupil. Always keep in mind the truth Paul discovered through His Damascus experience. It was never about proving to the world that he was deserving of God’s favour. No, Paul discovered that it was always about God loving him despite his imperfections. Paul did his best to love others from that foundational truth. Sometimes he failed, but God never disqualified him due to those failures.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (MSG) – “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s masterstroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified. I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.”
People subconsciously distrust those who are not comfortable in their own skin and who represent themselves as something they are not. In contrast, people tend to let you past their walls if they see you are not hiding behind a mask.
ATTENTION: Zoom meetings are currently on a Summer schedule
Every Second Monday – our next meetings will be held on August 16 and August 30. In September, the day might switch depending on the school schedule for me. Stay tuned.
We meet at 5:30 PM MDT. I host an informal discussion group on the Zoom platform. You are most welcome to join us. Would you mind using the contact form to message me with your email address if you have not contacted me already? I will have a waiting room enabled. If I don’t recognise you, I won’t add you to the call to ensure the safety and privacy of the group.
The zoom call is ONLY for those who contacted me through Facebook, email, or the contact form on this site. If you have not yet sent me your email address and would like to participate, do so by replying to this email. Let me know you are a member of this list and you’d like to join the Zoom Call. You would be most welcome to do so.
©2012,2021 Katherine Walden