Yesterday, I attended the “YouLead” pre-conference. In essence, there were many, many women in leadership roles within their churches who were there to be spiritually fed. I was reminded many times throughout the day that I cannot give what I don’t have. If I’m feeling spiritually barren, I will not be the conduit that leads someone to Christ. I simply won’t be effective.
This isn’t to say that leaders in the church must be “on” every second of the day. Those same leaders have trials and struggles ~ sometimes an exceptional amount of struggles because the enemy doesn’t want them leading people to the kingdom of God. This I know, my friends. The enemy is real~if you are unsure of his existence, look around.
So before I can effectually connect people to Christ, I must be renewed. Yesterday was a source of great renewal after a period of time when I have been clinging to faith..and faith alone. My heart needed renewal and I needed to be reminded that the struggles in my life will be used someday. The very fact that I’ve been experiencing a season of hurt and betrayal is all part of the plan for my life. Do I like this plan? No…and I certainly don’t understand how God knew all of the hurts that would come my way and didn’t stop them from happening.
Maybe instead of asking “why me?”, I should be thankful that He is using me. Rejoice in all circumstances. Yes, Father, I am so trying….how are You going to use this for good?
He is going to use these experiences in my life to help others. There is going to be a day (probably many days, in fact) that I will have an opportunity to impart what I’ve learned through this ordeal. I want to use my difficult trials to help that person that’s going to cross my path someday.
I cannot do that without renewal and without working through the discomfort to reach a healthy place of healing. That, alone, should be incentive for all of us to do the work necessary.