Discouragement. It’s a feeling those in ministry know all too well and too often. I knew to expect this when I entered into ministry, but something I wasn’t quite as prepared for was rejection. Feeling rejected when those who were supposed to support you in ministry are suddenly nowhere to be found. Feeling rejected when people who had started coming to church or bible study and getting plugged in suddenly decide to stop coming. Feeling rejected when the ministry you knew for sure God was calling you to isn’t succeeding as fast or as well as you had envisioned, or maybe not even at all. These are the thoughts and feelings spinning in my head and heart as I drove home from lunch today. A great lunch with great friends that followed an equally amazing church service. An amazing church service that I was overwhelmed and discouraged about the day before that God completely showed up at even without a sound system or really much of a congregation. The enemy is so good at distorting g
It wasn’t your typical staff meeting. There was some discussion on what was going on with the residents we ministered to, but the focus of this meeting was edifying the staff. Our director started off discussing how there are various seasons in our life. There are some seasons where God must cut things out of our lives and when there has to be death; these seasons are often painful and confusing. We’ve all walked through these seasons when God seemed to be weeding out everything in our lives. In these times, it is often difficult to see the purpose. It can often feel lonely and like God is abandoning or punishing us. But then follows seasons of growth and life; times when He lovingly replaces the things he cut away with newness, hope, and joy. Most often, we see these seasons manifest through our relationships. It’s common as we grow up and move on in our lives to naturally grow apart from childhood friends and maybe even family. But there are more painful moments when people in ou