When I first began to understand that God was calling me into the ministry, I thought that it was going to be about helping people to get closer to God, have a better understanding of His will,  while providing opportunities for meaningful life service and ministry to others.  I never thought that preaching would be about popularity and that pastoring would be about politics, but it seems that is a lot of what we have made it now a days!

I have been serving the Lord in ministry for the past 25 years and I have to tell you that it is more challenging than it has ever been.  I have always loved the church.  The church was a place of encouragement, comfort, purpose and guidance the whole time that I was growing up.  I was fortunate to have ministers that taught me how to have a personal, meaningful and active relationship with my Savor by investing time in prayer and God’s Word.  This personal relationship sustains me and gets me through the roughest of times.

Church has changed a lot through the years and I am not talking about the change that most people are fussing about.  I am not talking about music, dress or any of the little side issues that the devil has learned to use as big distractions for most of us.  I am talking about heart attitudes, mean spirits and an overall selfishness that seems to convince us that it is all about me, while telling myself that it is about others.

The church is not about me and it’s not about you!  It’s about Jesus and reaching out into a lost, hurt and dying world with the amazing grace that changed our lives so that we can live for His glory.  I am not so sure where we messed this thing up, but if we are all honest, we must admit that we have messed it up.

The question now is this:  What are we going to do about it?  Might I suggest a few steps?

1.)  Stop talking to everybody else about what you like and don’t like and start talking to God about what He likes and doesn’t like!  I mean really – whose opinion really matters here?  If we would talk to God, then we would here from God and if we heard from God, it would have to change our lives!

2.)  Remember:  You are part of the problem or part of the solution and only one of these options allows you to bring glory to God!  (More on this later this week!)

3.)  Get involved, not so that you can share your two cents worth, but so that you can give it your all, because God is worthy and we are needy!  Don’t talk about doing and stop pretending that you are doing it!  Do it – really do it – whatever it that God has called, gifted and equipped you to do.

Hope this helps you in your journey and if you will take the time to take it seriously, you will be amazed at what God can and will do through you!