I have a guy in my church who works for PGA West golf club just a few miles from us and can get me free golf whenever I want. Problem, I either don't have the time or don't take the time to play like I want to. So today, the first time in almost a year I went golfing and it was not pretty. I am not very good anyway, normally shoot in the 90's but today was OUCH...bad.
It took me until the 16th hole to realize one of my MANY problems. I wasn't letting the club do the work. I was swinging too hard and trying to do to much instead of letting up a little, try not to kill the ball and let the club do what it was designed to do.
So on my way home I thought about us as pastors that at times we try to do too much. We think if we work a few more hours and just a little harder that the church will grow. I have found out the hard way that it is simply not always true. You see, when you try to do too much swinging a golf club you end up getting your stance messed up or moving something that needed to be still or bending what needed to be straight.
The point is this. When we try to do too much we usually end up messing things up one way or another. Things get out of whack instead of letting His Word do wat it was intended to do. His word does not fail. That does not mean we should all play golf all week long, preach Sunday and let the Word do the rest. We have some responsibilities and things we should be doing to partner with God. However, nothing we can do, no matter how hard we try can make God's Word more powerful than it already is. So next time, do what you can within reason and then......
LET THE WORD DO THE WORK!
Back in Bible College, I had an "Expository Preaching" class; and did something for a self-study. I couldn't get excited about my text. It was too common, "...give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, etc..." I decided to write a sermon from this passage anyway - even though it wasn't something I was passionate to preach. I wrote it; and then came the day to preach it. I still wasn't excited. I never got excited the whole time I delivered the message. BUT! I got more compliments on that sermon than any other I had preached - and the highest grade of all the sermons I preached in that class. Todd, you're right, the Word will do the work with or without us!
ReplyDeleteFor those of us who are type A personality people and workaholics, we must remind ourselves of this frequently. Good word.
ReplyDeleteWow, how many times do I need to remind myself of this. Sometimes we think our work brings accomplishment. When we do things with excellence and purpose then we must allow our faith to be put in God for expansion & miracles. We must work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God because it does depend on Him.
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