Have you ever played the game Two Truths and a Lie? It's a get-to-know-you game that involves one person telling two things that are true about herself, and one thing that isn't true. Then, the group tries to decide which is the lie. I played that game this weekend during a get together at Revive '15. I didn't give it much more thought after that meeting, but driving home late Saturday night, thinking through all I had heard, it hit me that two truths and a lie were exactly what God had shown me throughout the sessions.
The First Truth
In Nancy Leigh DeMoss' first message Friday afternoon, she taught about the word "anointing" and the necessity of anointing on any ministry endeavor. About halfway through her message, she said one sentence that is so simple, but it struck me in a very profound way. "We must let God speak to us before we try to speak to others."
My ministry is worth nothing if it is fueled by nothing more than my own ideas, my own strength, and my own wisdom.
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But I realized how many times I have not acted as if I believe this truth. I thought about how many times I sit down to write a blog without letting God speak to me first, how many times I've led a Bible study or taught a class or planned an event without letting God speak to me first. I have a tragic tendency to get an idea and immediately launch into making it happen without first sitting at the feet of God, seeking His wisdom and His will for that idea, discerning whether that idea is even something He has for me to do right then.
But as Nancy so wisely pointed out, we have to see Him before we can make Him seen by others. My ministry is worth nothing if it is fueled by nothing more than my own ideas, my own strength, and my own wisdom. But if I have first spent time—much time—soaking in His word, seeking His face, and submitting to His will, then any labors for ministry that follow will be flavored with His wisdom, fueled by His strength, and filled with the fruit He chooses to give.
The Second Truth
Toward the end of Jen Wilkin's last message Saturday afternoon, God added another layer to what He had already shown me and highlighted a second truth for my heart when she said, "We become what we behold." Again, it is a very simple sentence, but so very profound.
In ministry, it is so easy to behold the wrong thing.
In ministry, it is so easy to behold the wrong thing. We might behold the opinions of others, and when we do we will become paralyzed by the fear of man. We might behold busy schedules and to-do lists, and when we do we will become proud of our own achievements or frazzled and completely stressed out over all we've put on our own plates. We might behold what God has done in someone else's life or ministry, and when we do we will become crippled by discontent over our own situation.
But if we behold our God, if we focus on Him as our only audience, if we keep our eyes fixed on Him as our prize, then we will become like Him. And as we become like Him, our ministry will be be fragrant and pleasing to Him.
And . . . the Lie
Finally, God used almost every session I attended to emphasize a subtle lie that I have to be very, very careful to root out of my mind on a regular basis. This is a lie that I suspect many leaders in ministry are susceptible to believing. I need to work and strive to make my ministry happen, or grow the ministry I already have. In the pre-conference track on writing, Lore Wilbert, Jennifer Lyell, and Erin Davis all stressed heavily that this is indeed a lie. If God wants to use me in any sort of ministry or on any sort of platform, He will make it happen. I need not invest all my energy into trying to open my own doors.
In fact, if doors did open as a result of me forcing them open instead of waiting for the Lord to give the opportunities He wants me to have, they would not prove fruitful. It reminds me of the first verse of our family psalm:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).
I have to constantly remind myself that if I am faithful to serve God with contentment in the arena He has given me today, He will bring to pass whatever is best for me and for His glory tomorrow.
If God wants to use me in any sort of ministry or on any sort of platform, He will make it happen.
Eric Mason really emphasized this during one of his sessions. He challenged us to "maximize every crack and crevice" that God has given us now, without longing for some other season or some other ministry. He taught that a leader who is filled with the Spirit is like a ship who simply raises its sail and lets the wind blow it where it wishes—not scrambling to make a name for herself, but serving with excellence right where she is for the glory of the Lord.
Two truths and a lie. My heart was challenged at Revive '15 by these statements and the impact they will have on my ministry. I encourage you to spend some time considering your own life and ministry.
- Do you try to serve without first listening to the Lord?
- Are you beholding the Lord or are your eyes on the wrong prize?
- Are you trying to open doors that God hasn't yet opened, or trying create your own opportunities?
If you weren't able to attend or LIVE steam the conference, keep checking the website to listen to these messages when they are posted. May God bless you as you seek to serve faithfully for His glory.
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