A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to listen to @MrsLoisEvans and her daughters. They said a lot of valuable things and this one struck me as one more thing to be shared. They talked about how people come to them asking how they got to where they are in ministry.
They then talked about, actually stressed, how ministry is about doing what is "in front of you" - essentially taking one step at a time and quoted Psalm 37:23 which says
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." (NLT)
@MrsLoisEvans put it succinctly when she said that God orders our steps, not the stage.
Then the next day I read this passage that shed light on this from a different angle:
1 Thessalonians 2: 3-5 - 3-5 God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you. (MSG, italics mine)
God needs us to be His ambassadors - but that doesn't mean that we all need to be "on stage" to be useful and productive. God is only interested in us taking the steps He orders us to and it's taking those steps that some people make it to the stage.
You'd rarely find a stage that doesn't have steps leading up to it. Actually, the stages I've seen that didn't have steps were really unsafe - it was difficult to get on (and off) it - so steps definitely help. As you go on & grow in ministry, focus on the steps not the stage and one day, you may be on the stage - if and when God wills. Wishing you many progressive and productive steps to God's glory.
AMEN!
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