Dear Pastor,
I want to ask you a very important question. One that it would be easy for you to gloss over.
Is Christ enough for you?
- Is it enough for you to know that Christ is with you?
- That Christ is for you?
- That Christ is in you?
- Is it enough to know that Christ has called you?
- And is empowering you?
Do you have to have visible confirmations of what you hope and dream?
What if God doesn’t bring a numeric increase in the church you are leading?
What if God doesn’t bring the miraculous healing you have been praying for?
What if God doesn’t answer the prayer request the way you hoped, dreamed and begged for?
Would it be okay if God said to you: “Trust me in this, you can’t see what I am doing, but you don’t need to see. Just trust. Just rest. Just believe.” ?
More than just “okay” would you be able to receive and walk in His joy and peace whilst not seeing outwardly the miracles, breakthroughs and accomplishments you always hoped you would?
Would you be able to be confident in the Lord, rejoicing within, grateful for the opportunities, with inner calm and satisfaction?
I want to challenge you in this because I believe that unholy discontent has a root in pride and selfishness and many times we have this deep belief that we can hold on as long as the answer we hoped for/prayed for eventually comes. But we are not resting in the Lord and trusting His wisdom in this. (What if His wisdom says: “no my child, you don’t need that. That is not what I have planned”?)
Furthermore, is it possible we might only be exhibiting “trust” and “faith” because of what it gains for us, instead of simply abiding in Christ and saying to Him: “Jesus, you are enough for me!”
If the church you lead never grows by another person, would you be able to still find the joy and shalom of the Lord and still preach/teach/minister passionately under the unction of the Holy Spirit?
If the community you live in never repents and turns to Christ would you still be able to walk in the inner strength of knowing that God loves you and them, resisting bitterness and frustration, and still preach/minister as if this sermon or this encounter would be the time when revival breaks loose?
I don’t really know how to put this into words, but what I am driving at is that the relationship we have with God through the sacrifice of Jesus and by the presence of the Holy Spirit is enough for us to continuously walk in joy, peace and freedom. He is enough for us to constantly have inner strength, contentment and long-suffering. He is enough for us that we can consistently live victoriously regardless of the circumstances around us or the responses of the people.
I hope and pray that you will get alone with God and (re)discover the absolute sufficiency of His presence and as He sources you that you will live in and love/serve/minister out of the overflowing springs of His eternal joy welling up within your soul!
Christ is with us, Christ is in us!
Mike J
Pastor Michael Johnson 