Divine Assignment
I was thinking of buying a house.
I’d been working with this one guy, but things were delayed a year. Finally, I got the name of this other girl. Well, we never could connect. Finally, I said, “Lord, it’s yours. I’m not going to call again. If you want her to call me, she will.”
Well, two or three weeks later she did. I set up an appointment and went to talk to her about a buying a house. We ended up talking about the Lord for two hours.
Some things aren’t what they appear.
I thought I was going to talk about buying a house. The Father sent me to counsel with a woman who had turned her back on him, and hadn’t been to church since June. We hooked up right when the Father needed us to. Not a moment before.
Another time, I needed someone to braid Lyric’s hair. I got the number of this girl who does it really cheap. I called, and I called and I called. Never, not one time, did she pick up the phone. So, I called another girl. She could do it that day. Well, I thought I was going to see her so she could braid Lyric’s hair. Nope.
Some things aren’t what they appear.
I ended up ministering to her about God’s love, provision and protection because she had just been laid off. She hadn’t been to church either, and we spent a few hours on the phone talking about the Father.
Yet another time, I went to the doctor’s office and thought I was there to get some test done. The guy who checked me in was jovial, full of laughter and funny. We talked, and I asked if he had a church. He didn’t. Turns out, he was a former minister who walked away from the Lord and church and ministry.
Somethings aren’t what they appear.
We believe we’re placed in situations for our good. We’re not. We’re there on kingdom purpose. We’re there on God’s time. And it’s his task we are performing. If we get blessed in the process, so be it. But, we’ve got to realize that our first duty in this world is to minister to others. It’s their hurt, their need, that God placed us in their lives to meet.
Let’s not get caught up in us. What we want. What we think. What we need – that we forget the plight of others. In either situation, it might have been easy to walk in, chit-chat about the weather and move on. Purposefully, however, we can gently ask questions that lead us to hurting hearts, minds and souls. Then, with direction from the Lord, we can lead them to a Father who saves, forgives, delivers and restores.
It’s as simple as, “Do you have a church home?”
If not, invite them to yours. If yes, ask, “What’s going on there? Are you active?”
Hurting people pour out their pain. Even to strangers. Especially to strangers. They’re looking for an outlet of love, and we know one – God. And he instructs us to lead lost souls to Him.
You can do it. It’s not hard. And it’s not selling.
You’re simply offering something they were looking for anyway. You’ll know this because they’ll tell you. In the workbook, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby, suggests asking questions that let you know what is going on in that person’s life, like:
How can I pray for you?
What can I pray for you?
Do you want to talk?
What do you see as the greatest challenge in your life?
What is the most significant thing happening in your life right now?
Would you tell me what God is doing in your life?
What is God bringing to the surface in your life?
What burden had God given you?
These questions will let you know where a person is with God. But, don’t force them on a person. If you find people open to conversation, that let’s you know God may be at work in there lives and he’s using you as an instrument. If you’re gentle questions lead to defensiveness or hostility, let it go. They’re not open to God’s word. Let it go. Only God can open a heart and lead it to him. Our job is to see those open hearts and fill them with more of the Father – as He leads.
The key is to be alert. Look for opportunities to share God’s love with others Be gentle. Don’t descend on people like vultures. God’s love is like a dove. See where he leads you. Follow, and then lead another in the path he’s shown you. Let’s not get so caught up in self, we forget to see the needs of others. Hurting people, searching people, are all about us. At the doctor’s office, the real estate agency. The dentist and the grocery store. And yeah, they might even be at church.
You think you’re there to worship. You might be there to teach someone else to worship. Extend yourself to visitors. Make it a point to talk to church members outside your clique on friends. Let’s look for opportunities to share God’s love in the most unlikely places, because some things aren’t what they appear.
Know that I love you each, L.
I’d been working with this one guy, but things were delayed a year. Finally, I got the name of this other girl. Well, we never could connect. Finally, I said, “Lord, it’s yours. I’m not going to call again. If you want her to call me, she will.”
Well, two or three weeks later she did. I set up an appointment and went to talk to her about a buying a house. We ended up talking about the Lord for two hours.
Some things aren’t what they appear.
I thought I was going to talk about buying a house. The Father sent me to counsel with a woman who had turned her back on him, and hadn’t been to church since June. We hooked up right when the Father needed us to. Not a moment before.
Another time, I needed someone to braid Lyric’s hair. I got the number of this girl who does it really cheap. I called, and I called and I called. Never, not one time, did she pick up the phone. So, I called another girl. She could do it that day. Well, I thought I was going to see her so she could braid Lyric’s hair. Nope.
Some things aren’t what they appear.
I ended up ministering to her about God’s love, provision and protection because she had just been laid off. She hadn’t been to church either, and we spent a few hours on the phone talking about the Father.
Yet another time, I went to the doctor’s office and thought I was there to get some test done. The guy who checked me in was jovial, full of laughter and funny. We talked, and I asked if he had a church. He didn’t. Turns out, he was a former minister who walked away from the Lord and church and ministry.
Somethings aren’t what they appear.
We believe we’re placed in situations for our good. We’re not. We’re there on kingdom purpose. We’re there on God’s time. And it’s his task we are performing. If we get blessed in the process, so be it. But, we’ve got to realize that our first duty in this world is to minister to others. It’s their hurt, their need, that God placed us in their lives to meet.
Let’s not get caught up in us. What we want. What we think. What we need – that we forget the plight of others. In either situation, it might have been easy to walk in, chit-chat about the weather and move on. Purposefully, however, we can gently ask questions that lead us to hurting hearts, minds and souls. Then, with direction from the Lord, we can lead them to a Father who saves, forgives, delivers and restores.
It’s as simple as, “Do you have a church home?”
If not, invite them to yours. If yes, ask, “What’s going on there? Are you active?”
Hurting people pour out their pain. Even to strangers. Especially to strangers. They’re looking for an outlet of love, and we know one – God. And he instructs us to lead lost souls to Him.
You can do it. It’s not hard. And it’s not selling.
You’re simply offering something they were looking for anyway. You’ll know this because they’ll tell you. In the workbook, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby, suggests asking questions that let you know what is going on in that person’s life, like:
How can I pray for you?
What can I pray for you?
Do you want to talk?
What do you see as the greatest challenge in your life?
What is the most significant thing happening in your life right now?
Would you tell me what God is doing in your life?
What is God bringing to the surface in your life?
What burden had God given you?
These questions will let you know where a person is with God. But, don’t force them on a person. If you find people open to conversation, that let’s you know God may be at work in there lives and he’s using you as an instrument. If you’re gentle questions lead to defensiveness or hostility, let it go. They’re not open to God’s word. Let it go. Only God can open a heart and lead it to him. Our job is to see those open hearts and fill them with more of the Father – as He leads.
The key is to be alert. Look for opportunities to share God’s love with others Be gentle. Don’t descend on people like vultures. God’s love is like a dove. See where he leads you. Follow, and then lead another in the path he’s shown you. Let’s not get so caught up in self, we forget to see the needs of others. Hurting people, searching people, are all about us. At the doctor’s office, the real estate agency. The dentist and the grocery store. And yeah, they might even be at church.
You think you’re there to worship. You might be there to teach someone else to worship. Extend yourself to visitors. Make it a point to talk to church members outside your clique on friends. Let’s look for opportunities to share God’s love in the most unlikely places, because some things aren’t what they appear.
Know that I love you each, L.
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