A different way to live

I heard Graham Cooke share this recently at a conference. Someone asked how to approach pastoral ministry so that it can be less draining. Graham thought for a while, and reminded us that Jesus said His burden would be light. So ministry is not supposed to burn us out.

He shared a story about a couple who came to him for counseling. They have been arguing with each other. He asked the man, what did you say to the woman? Then, he asked the woman, how did you react to his words? Then, he asked both of them, whether they could tell if those words were spoken by their old man, or their new man. He gave them 5 mins to think about that alone by themselves. Then, he called them back and they said it was their old man. He asked them, how would your new man react in that situation? They spoke out new words, cried, reconciled and their relationship was restored in that short 10 mins.

Graham said, the reason why pastoral ministry is sometimes so tiring is because we are trying to minister and heal people's old man, when Jesus declared that our old man is dead, and we are a new creation. The job of a pastor is to help people identify their new man and learn to live from that new place of hope, power and love.

I thought about all the things that have upset me in my life, and how it always feels like I'm not good enough, that I still have unresolved issues, that I have not yet learned to trust Him or depend on Him. I start at the bottom of the mountain and try to climb up. Jesus was teaching us to live a different way. Paul tells us that we are seated in Heavenly places with Christ. From the top of the mountain, the view is different. Seeing through the lens of the Father is different. We are learning to live out what has been given us, not try to earn something that is out there to make us better. What if every situation is only there so we can explore more of our goodness, of our identity, of our intimate relationship with Him? What if every situation is not there to show us what we do not have, but to help us recognize something that we do have?

We cannot live our lives through principles. Principles are there because we are afraid of the consequences of our mistakes. We use principles when we cannot feel His Presence or His Spirit in our circumstances. It is our next best thing. But what if that circumstance was an invitation to recognize where God is in that part of your life? God is everywhere and in everything, there is no doubt about it. It is when we recognize where He is that His presence becomes manifest. Sometimes, in worship, we cry out to God to never leave, that we will always live in His presence, that the worship experience goes on forever. Do you know, that is His cry to you too? What if it is possible to live in His presence always and forever? What if life is all about that sweet sweet intimacy, always and forever, and the vulnerability of that moment, but never ever fearing again that you would be hurt by being vulnerable? What if God has always been vulnerable before us, and all we have to do is accept His full invitation to do the same?