encouragement

lately i've been really attacked. more and more of those discouraging thoughts enter my mind. poisoning thoughts, really. these questions plague me. "what's the point?" "why even try?" "do they even care?" i drown in these. "it's no use." "nothing you do makes any difference whatsoever." "just give up." i've been unfairly comparing wb with other churches and that's a poisoning thought. in the sense that i think, why can't our church be like that? what's wrong with us?? i learned those are the wrong questions. i've learned that the questions i should be asking are, what does God want for our church? not "what do i want for this church." i took my mind off of God, and it really messed me up. i need to keep my mind on God always. He has to be the center of everything. there's no real point if He isn't. i had lunches and phone calls with friends and i found encouragement and wisdom. God blesses different ministries in different ways. be grateful for the ministry that we do have. put your all into it all the while having God back you up all the way and He will bless it. it isn't our job to change people's hearts. it's our job to offer the invitation. God does the rest. no matter how hard it seems, we need to push on. but we have to make sure our own mind, body, and soul are in tip top shape before we can help others. will taught me this cool analogy. we're like a cup. and we want to be filled with God. whatever overflows should be our ministry. to put our all into ministry without being first filled with God is a trap. we find ourselves furiously shaking the cup for some drop of God's blessing and miracles but to no avail! we're not filled with Him, so how can we possibly expect God's blessing to come out of us? how can we show people what God's love is like if we're not experiencing it ourselves?? it just doesn't make sense! that's when we get burnt out. that's what happened to me! i learned it the hard way. but i think it's something that i had to learn because i know the dangers of it now and how scary it is to not have God prominent in my heart. right now i'm trying to just be still and know that He is God. i'm filling myself up with Him. the only thing that really satisfies. i find comfort and strength in Him. to know that everything is in His hands. that He is watching out for me. to know that His love is never-ending and His love is always here. it's up to us to acknowledge it or not. i took time to finally just worship and read the Word and spend time with my Father. He was here all along. tears came to my eyes. He was saying to me, "I'm here. I was just waiting for you to look at me. I would never leave you. How could you ever think that? I'll never forsake you. you are mine, and i am yours. don't forget that, thien. i love you." i needed that. i think everyone needs that. those who believe and those who don't. to know that God truly and genuinely cares about them. and it's our mission to go out into the world and let them know that they are loved. everyone deserves to be loved even if they've done things that make it seem like they don't. God loved us when we were undeserving. so if Holy Spirit lives in us, we are called to love like that. to love with generous, sacrificial hearts. not scared of rejection and shame. because we've been saved from that. we've found acceptance and honor. we're called to love the easy to love. and we're also called to love the undeserving. those who hate us. those who hate God. this is the love that God had for us, and this is the love we have to offer for those who were just like us at one point before we were saved. those who are indifferent. those who are angry. those who are questioning. those who are confused. those who are hurting. those who are lost. those who were just like us. it's our calling to go out and share this love we found. we will endure criticism and questions we can't answer. but be encouraged because God delights in our passion for Him. He smiles when we are willing to risk our own reputations and our desires for Him. and He is standing there. holding our hands. always.

¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

^14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Matthew 5

let's be the light that God wants us to be. by living generous lives, people will see God in us. and they'll want to know Him more. and that's when He is glorified. let's be God's light.