I am keeping this short because it is rather late and I am in desperate need of sleep tonight. However, I did want to jot down a few thoughts before tomorrow started and they were gone forever.
I am over halfway done with week 2 here at M-Fuge and so far this week has been a cakewalk compared to the first week. Everything is starting to feel familiar and you get the sense that you can do what you are doing on autopilot... and that can be either a blessing or a curse...
Tonight was strange for me because for some reason or another I was a bit nervous when it came to speaking. Normally I am not nervous to go out and teach and if I am then it is normally just some light "butterflies" that go away quickly. However, for some reason tonight I was pretty petrified backstage.
I have this prayer that I frequently turn to when I am about to go out that the basic gist of it is that I desire for God to be seen and speak and not me. Normally this helps me to relax but tonight it just wasn't doing it. I stepped out on stage just not feeling adequate or strong enough.
However, as I have learned time and time again, God is strong enough. We tore right into 1 Kings 18 and God moved in a way that several students were broken and praying with their youth groups even after time for dismissal. I have to say that I was truly humbled by the experience because I know that it was nothing on my own power. God gave me the words and His words always hit the intended target. I left encouraged knowing that it is God who is the One who moves our hearts and all I have to do is be faithful.
Which leads me to one final random thought... How are you supposed to respond to something saying that you did good (when it comes to preaching)? I always end up sheepishly saying thanks but I know that God is the one who allows me to do it at all. However, if I say, "Well, God deserves all the credit," then I come across as being false modest or super-spiritual. I just don't know how to react well... Any legit ideas would be much appreciated.
Well, I'm off to sleep now. I love you all so very much...
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false modesty and super-spiritualness aside, I think that it can also make the compliment-giver feel badly...as if they are not as spiritually attuned as you and should have known who to ascribe credit to.
ReplyDeleteI can say from personal experience that when I thank someone for a message or compliment them on a job well done, it is not about mistaking who it is that delivered the message (after all, each one of us lives and breathes because the Lord allows, permits, and compels us to do so) but rather because many people are gifted to encourage and build up people as they are doing what the Lord has gifted and empowered them to do. Allow people to exercise their spiritual gift of encouragement as you exercise your spiritual gift of teaching ;)