Welcome to Hank’s Place in 2022
Don’t be hasty to judge your spiritual performance, dear friend. Lets take a look at John the Baptist. He had a calling. A vision. A purpose. According to Luke 1:17 he was the “forerunner of the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
A BIG BIG calling. Was he successful? Did he live up to it? Remember, a couple years into his ministry – BOOM – he is imprisoned by Herod — and beheaded. Doesn’t sound very successful. A couple years? If his calling was in the spirit and power of Elijah, where were the great miracles like Elijah? Any miracles? None. Not – one – miracle.
While imprisoned it appears he was assailed by doubts. Second guessing. For he even sent his followers to Jesus, asking, “Are you the Expected One? Or do we look for another” Luke 7:19. Looks like even John the Baptist wondered if he blew his calling. But Jesus said of those born of women there was none greater. Luke 7:28. That’s pretty good affirmation of John’s success, right?
How about you and me? The devil and the flesh will constantly have us compare ourselves with others and their performance. At pastoral forums or ministerial gatherings it is not uncommon for pastors to humbly brag how many souls were saved, or people attending, or were water baptized, and such. Even pastors and priests feel performance challenges.
The devil will press each of us to measure ourselves by ourselves and others and we invariably come up short. Well, don’t buy into his measurements, my friend.
A number of years ago my wife and I were on a mission trip in Europe, and stopped a few days in Ireland to encourage missionary friends and a small group of Christians. Outside of a few words of encouragement it seemed – a non event.
We felt discouraged over that time, but a year later one young woman from that group came to the United States and saw us. And she spoke about how my wife had had a profound effect on her life; turned it all around she declared! She and her husband had gone and started a new church in Cork, praise the Lord!
Later the Holy Spirit revealed to Mary that that one person was the reason we were sent to Ireland. My friend, Jesus might send YOU to one person, or ONE place, for ONE time, even half-way around the world. To impact a life. Jesus is head of His body – LORD – He calls the shots.
So, don’t second guess your spiritual activity – just listen and follow the Spirit. This life is meant to be an adventure in Christ Jesus — in the Holy Spirit. So stop measuring, start adventuring — you’ll COME ALIVE!
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