My heart on empowering others

Reminder to self...

I am into empowering young people to serve God through leading others. I wonder if it's actually called empowering..

There is this term called "theological" safe-space where people in a group can talk about God freely without fear of being judged or considered idiots for asking something about God. Well, I consider me a "growing up as a leader" safe-space... Under my wings (so to speak!) one can do and try all sorts of different approaches in serving God whilst they grow in leadership. Why? Was Christ conventional?

All of us are different and yet are the same. Different cos of how we are made but same cos of our Maker. The part where we are the same ought not change, ie. no funny stuff, like weird doctrines, yada, yada... but the methods can be different. None of us came to know Christ in exactly the same way, nor do we talk about God in the same way although we all do share Christ with others..

So why empower? I'd use the analogy, teach someone to fish and you'll will feed him for life but give him the fish and you'll only feed him for a day...

I am into encouraging, coercing, preparing the way, opening up opportunities and leading people to fish for themselves. You'll be amazed at what can and will happen when people are empowered and can grow once they feel that they have that safe space to work with... Although I've only seen glimpses of it, it's already fueling me to move further!

Unfortunately, there are also those who think they've been abandoned and left to swim at the deep end... all they need to do is to stand up (aka just ask me la..)

Besides the above problem, making the choice to lead in this manner has left all sorts of issues in my arms, like running helter-skelter when things don't go as planned. It is stressful, and I admit that teaching people to fish does take a longer time to do (as opposed to catching the fish myself) but am still believing for the dividends in time to come (which I hope won't be in the form of a slap across the face!) It has also oftentimes left me looking somewhat incompetent and other times inefficient but again, I would remind myself of the end goal.

Another benefit of empowerment is to watch those "under" our care eventually surpass us and even teach us a thing or two! That's something which I expect and even hope for!

In our quest for excellence in ministry, we need to remember that we are in God's business of building people first and foremost. The ministry will inevitably follow. We are given a bunch of people (who initially can't fish) and we teach, we grow, we build, we love them into leadership and maturity. I hope to grow old with them because after all, they have become my friends...

And then, when I see the Lord, I hope that He will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

Counting the cost...

2 Timothy 3: 12 (NIV) says that, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"

Question:-

• If we are not persecuted, are we then not living a Godly life?
• Is this some sort of an indicator of a "closet" Christian?; or
  
• Is it the measure of how often we actually witness to people?

This verse is preparing me for persecution. There should not be a question mark as to whether we would or would not be persecuted. It is a matter of fact that as we live life in Christ, it will come. So, how then should we respond?

Our allegiance to Christ, of proclaiming the truth, of living it out in our daily lives, of righteousness (strong sense of right and wrong), should be a prominent feature in our lives and ought to be apparent to those around us.

I think that this allegiance to Christ must cost us something and knowing beforehand and preparing ourselves for it, is key. I do not look upon persecution as a delight but rather, a course or journey that must be taken. Staying on course is the primary objective.

Question:-

• What is a form of persecution that we would encounter where we are at, be it a work, amongst a group of people, in school, at home?
• are we accused of not being "cool" because we refuse to dodge certain activities?
• is it a dare or a challenge to dress or speak in a certain way?
• are we made fun of because of our so called "holier than thou" behaviour?
• do we get mocked by people for our squeaky clean language?
• are we compared to people of other faiths?

Persecution should not be a "bad word" to us believers. We ought to embrace it, not because it is the righteous or noble "bad" thing that will happen to us but more so because, persecution is to me, an indicator to how boldly we are living for Christ. Instead of fearing persecution, fear that we aren't making Christ known.

(Living where I do, I don't suffer the kind of persecution that Paul or believers today (of other nationalities) have to go through on a daily basis. I just think that persecution can take many forms and vary in degree, from human to human and from situation to situation. So, living in the Bible Belt in the US for example, does not mean we wouldn't face persecution..)

Believing in Christ the Risen Lord costs us something. It costs us time, effort, there's opportunity cost, loss of income, things dear to us. It costs us our popularity, it costs us being judged, we are mocked, ridiculed, tormented and sometimes it costs even us our most valued relationship. It costs us our dogged perseverence, unwavering determination, uncompromising faith and obedience. It can even cost us our very lives.

So, is it then a burden to live for Him, to call Him Lord and Savior? Is it then BETTER if we abandon this idea of faith in Him and go on our own way? Wouldn't it be just too testy to live a life of strife with others, and instead let's just "see how things pan out and go with the flow"? It is simpler, less thinking, effort, planning involved, as after all, we don't know what tomorrow holds, so just take today for whatever we can get from it?

I've tried that. It actually works... for a while. We will be swept by the tide of man and time, live, laugh, play and sometimes feel happiness. Life on earth has much to offer since the Lord made it for us anyways. There will be good stuff and there will be bad stuff, just as if you had given yourself to Christ. So, then, what is the difference?

This was the big difference for me. Feeling empty on the inside. Nothingness, aloneness, hopelessness. Doing whatever I wanted didn't give me any joy. The more I did what I liked, the more empty I felt. It came to a point I was nauseous from the emptiness I felt in the pit of my stomach.

Plans and a purpose was the next biggie. I looked at the great plans I had all laid out for me and then looked at God's plan for me (Jeremiah 29: 11). He had so much more! It was BIGGER, better and best of all, He would be there to see it through for me! I only needed to say Yes and keep on saying Yes to Him. So unbelievably simple! Needless to say, the rewards in the life hereafter are also very substantial..

Does it mean that I had to do stuff I hate to do, even today? Yes. Did it and does it mean that I can't do things as and when I liked? Why, yes! Do I keep on having to make decision after decision, choice after choice every single day, to abide in Him? Yes, yes, yes! Is it easy? No! It is not!

How difficult it is for us to make these decisions daily, to follow Him, to walk with Him, to love Him and to love His people? It sounds such an impossible task ... so let's just count His cost so that we can make these decisions. God sent His only Son, Jesus who Himself suffered, was persecuted, ridiculed, mocked, beaten, and eventually killed so that we have a choice. He GAVE His life so that we have a "so that". Are we worth His cost? He seems to think so.

In a nutshell, and very candidly put, I would rather follow Christ and as and when, endure some suffering, a little hardship and even persecution for His Name sake (for it happens to be nothing compared to what He Himself endured for me so that I can live) than to suffer needlessly as a consequence of my own selfish actions, decisions and ambition or worse yet, for no reason and purpose at all!

What kind of a deal is that?

My take on encouragement...

Here're some of my thoughts on encouragement:-

1. I am greatly encouraged when I hear accounts of souls being brought into the Kingdom.
2. I am encouraged when testimonies of healing, overcoming obstacles, life circumstances are shared.
3. Encouragement is also found when people make mention of a certain occasion, a word, a song or a verse that was shared and it has in some way helped them through a particular time or situation.
4. It isn't easy to encourage people. God's help is usually required.
   
5. It is hard to encourage someone who doesn't want to accept what we say. Usually, these ones are negative about most things at that particular time. It is important to encourage nonetheless.
6. We can encourage without speaking.
7. It's sad when people think that we encourage because we have to, are obliged to. It's important to encourage despite what people think.
   
8. Not giving up on something can encourage others.
9. Don't give up encouraging people even if people don't seem to appreciate it.
10. Don't bother to encourage anyone if we are not sincere.
11. Encouragement is like a bouquet of sweet-smelling everlasting flowers that we present to someone.
12. I've been discouraged when my encouragement was not received...
13. I've been encouraged when what I have done or said has encouraged someone. It works both ways.