from my journey with God in the past 28 years since I’m actively involved in the ministry of CCC (as student first than as staff in the past 19 years).
In Isiah 48:17 God tells us that He will teach us what will be for our profit and that He will lead us on the way we must walk on! The lessons I’ve learned are lessons I had to learn and still need to learn about God, about life and about me.
What did I learn that stood out from the many other lessons and repeated over and over again? (These are my personal lessons from my journey on my road that God led me through. Yours could be totally different.)
- Security never comes from where we desire it to come from. Security never existed in my circumstances. I grew up as a child in total insecurity and all my life I’ve experienced financial, legal, housing, medical and all kinds of insecurities. We never had a ministry year where we had stability, sustainability or we could relax, because we are secure. The sense of security always are coming from God. Ps 4:8 was true all the time: “You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
- God always look at the heart of the person and not his/her abilities, talents, opportunities or position. God uses the weak, the poor, the nobodies, the untrained if their heart is for God. I had been the least potential for any kind of leadership in the ministry during my student years as well my first few years as staff. God overcame the huge deficit I grew up with.
- God always wanted me to live beyond my capacities. He wanted me to live beyond my physical, emotional, mental, relational, social and spiritual capacities. He is not limited by my talents, abilities or capacities. He always stretches us greatly.
- God always wanted me to face and do the impossible. Whatever I had to accomplish, resources I had from my own was never enough for it. He always asked impossible things and through that forced me to live by faith.
- Suffering, pain and losses always accompanied me on my journey. The pain of loosing friends who were my comrades in the battle had been the worst of all. But He took us through all kinds of physical, emotional, relational, financial, legal and mental sufferings and pain. He always gave strength and rescued us from each, but the pain over the losses of friends stayed with me.
- God always provided and protected us and the ministry. He always helped us through – so I have all the reasons to believe that He will continue to provide and protect us.
- Humbly I’m saying this, but He always used us and this ministry to change lives. We always saw people turning to Christ and growing into life-long laborers of Him. Our impact had been much greater than we’ve hoped for.
- God is the owner of everything I have, and He acts accordingly. He owns my ministry, my assets, my family, my health and my life. He has all the right to do whatever He desires.
As I look ahead of the road we must walk on because God has prepared it for us – beside of these life-lessons I’ve learned from the experience of the years walking on the road He prepared for us, I know one thing for sure: He promised His presence to us. His face will come with us, so whatever comes to us on our journey, He will face with it. That is our peace, security and comfort. Pray that God would pour the peace and joy of His Holy Spirit into our anxious heart!