What can I say without sounding like I am bragging? God gave me a great wife. Amy loves the Lord. She loves the church. She has an eye for beauty and a heart for expressing it well. Here is something she wrote recently. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I’ve been thinking about how I can be an encourager to all the faithful people who surround me in ministry, doing all the things they do in fantastically gifted ways. I got started thinking about this when someone asked me what I thought about it, the other day. Here’s what I came up with.
1. Be what you want others to become in these three areas:
a. love for God
b. love for believers
c. love for the lost.
I have to do what it takes to be growing in these things so that I understand how to take them where they’re going. This makes me a good example and keeps me from expecting too little or too much from others.
2. Expect a lot out of people, spiritually. God does. Pray to that end. I might not make it my aim to talk about this directly with them, but by my example, what I talk about, the things I praise, and how I pray, I give them ideas of what they could be for the kingdom. The whole time, I’m asking God to do more in and through them than they ever expected.
3. Make long, deep, scripture-filled prayer a priority; private prayer for them and corporate prayer with them. Always exemplify biblical, God-exalting prayer.
4. Let others hear you exalt Christ in all your conversations. Praise him to others. Show them that what you believe about him gives you affection and admiration for him. Let people see Christ in you, in how you live and speak.
5. Ask people how you can pray for them. Remember it. Actually pray for them. Ask them how it’s going next time you see them.
6. Really listen to the person who is talking to you. Shut others out and graciously don’t let people interrupt. You might not get another chance to hear this person for a while.
7. Don’t instruct people, inspire them. It’s the difference between spouting off what you know to be recognized and speaking to someone with hopes for what they can be in Christ. It’s the difference between instructing others and amazing them by showing them the incomparable Christ. It’s the difference between saying, “obey, obey, obey!” and showing them a loving God who wants to use them and how obedience is the vehicle to get them to that usefulness in his kingdom. Appeal to their wants as much as their will. One must choose or will to obey, but one wants to obey when they are shown the magnanimous and majestic Triune God.
8. Demonstrate a strong belief in the doctrines and deep truths of Scripture by living them out in faith. Not complaining shows faith in God’s sovereignty. Not talking about yourself too much shows them the humility and love of Christ. Not worrying shows faith in God’s omnipotence. Talk about Christ being God and man and why that’s so necessary. Talk about his attributes and how they effect your everyday life.
9. Be hard on yourself and easy on others. Be very gracious. Always remember how much of a sinner you are before you ever consider confronting anyone. Commit that matter to prayer for a long time before you mention it to them. Ask God to bring it to their mind without you. Then if you need to, address it directly.
10. Never, ever say negative things about people behind their back.
11. Never assume you know the heart or motivations of someone else. Give them credit for the best possible motive in every scenario.
12. Praise eternal things in people more than temporal: for example their gifts, how God uses them, something you learned from them.
13. Learn from the aged and the wise.
14. Expect great things from God every single day. Talk about it with people, pray expectant prayers, and live like you know God will accomplish great things in his kingdom.
15. Love people more than things and personal convenience. Give your stuff away, your time, your energies, knowing God supplies them for his glory and can fill you back up to overflowing.
I don’t do any of these very well, but I think it’s a good start to what God expects of me in ministry. Hope it’s a little helpful.
Matt. 10:25 Eph. 3:20 Eph 6:18 Phil. 1:21 1Pet. 3:18
Luke 6:42 Is. 40:8 Prov. 13:20 1 Cor. 13:7 Jude 1:24
Matt. 5:41