What's Your Source?

I once floated on a river that was ice cold even in the 100 degree heat. The air was blistering and dangerously hot, the water was refreshing. In fact if you stayed in too long it was as if you were suffering from hyperthermia. The reason the river was so cold was it’s source. The water flowed from cold springs within the rocks below. Not matter how hot it got, the source kept the river cold.

Ministry to children requires inspiration and creativity. We have countless sources available today to inspire us. TV, movies, the internet and other people seem to provide an endless source of ideas. We need to tap into the creator of the universe. He created everything to reproduce after it’s own kind. The finished work of the cross made us a new creation after the kind of Jesus.(2 Corinthians 5:17) We have His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). All the other sources are good but we have a better way available. I confess “I have the mind of Christ, I am created to be creative. I never lack for worthy and witty ideas to preach the gospel. My head is full of God-ideas.”

Ministry also requires energy. I am not talking about the kind that you can buy at the covienence store. We need to have a certain portion of God’s power to truly change lives. We can fake this to a detain extent. We can mimic tried and true mehods that others use. We must always tap into His power. An empty pitcher pours no drinks. In Ephesians 5:18 we are told to “be filled with the Spirit”. One of the meanings of this Greek word plaroo, is “to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim”. Another definition is “to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking).” We need to stay full of the Spirit to carry out our God-mission. Just like the cold river, we can have His energy no matter our circumstances.

In our recent pastors meeting we began to describe ambition. That word can be scary. There is a such a thing as Godly ambition. We need ambition in ministry. It’s not the ambition to get power, fame, or wealth. It’s a drive for the kingdom of God. It’s living life by priorities. It’s setting divine-sized goals and taping into His power to see them come to past. It’s stretching our abilities to the point where only God can be behind what we are doing. It’s doing the little things right so that the big things can be done. (Luke 16:10) god has to be the source of our ambition. If not, we will slip off into sin and disqualify ourselves.

There are so many more things we need from God: joy, grace, love, peace, etc. We could write for years on our dependence on him. Next week I will post on ways I tap into the source of God.