Great Commission Churches

March 2007

We all have friends who help us in different ways. Some friends encourage us when we’re down. Some friends challenge us when we’re not reaching our full potential. This month’s writer does both. With the regular “tune-ups” our friend Shari recommends for our ministry journey, we can be energized by the Holy Spirit. May you experience the true refreshment that comes from Christ as you serve in His name.

In Christ’s love,
Sandy

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True Refreshment

By Shari Damas, New Life Community Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

I don’t know about you, but I am bothered by our culture’s mantra: “meet your own needs first, then give to others.” Even in Christian circles this is promoted, and I bristle at the self-centered focus it promotes. As wives of men in leadership, we do work hard and we do need rest, but we enter dangerous territory when our lives center around meeting our own needs. Instead of refreshment, that mindset leads to unhealthy self-indulgence. This month I want to remind us that the formula for true
refreshment is offered in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous man will prosper: he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” The key is to have right relationships, first with God, then with others.

People frequently ask how I do so much ministry without being drained. I am surprised to hear this question from Christian women whose lives appear similar to mine. It seems that while I am energized by meeting the needs of others, these women are burdened. What’s the difference? I think it lies in receiving true refreshment.

At Faithwalkers, God impressed this analogy on my heart. We are God’s ministry vehicles and He desires to use us for His work as long as we are on the Earth. To prepare for this journey with Him, we can think of ourselves as a car being prepared for a long trip. Before and during the drive, we need to:

• Perform routine maintenance: Fix little things before they become major problems; address relationship problems as well as attitudes and behaviors in your own life. Fuel up daily through prayer and time in God’s Word; spend weekly encouragement and accountability time with at least one women; plan special activities you enjoy doing with others (scrapbooking, walking, etc.), date your husband, laugh regularly.
• Monitor fluid levels: Know how much fuel you need to get through the day. Don’t plan to end the day on fumes, but leave energy for detours. You may find unexpected refreshment through a scenic bypass you encounter along the road. (I was recently asked to hold a makeup party at a teenage sleepover for girls in a difficult situation. With only 4 hours notice, I wanted to say no, but decided building into the girls’ lives was the right choice. After the makeup, I spent a couple of hours catching up with my adult girlfriend. I am so glad that God sovereignly planned my day to leave time and energy – and a willing husband – to provide me thatrefreshing detour!)
• Check for leaks: Are commitments, activities or relationships draining you? Too many? Too demanding? Eliminating “fuel wasters” gives you more energy for important and refreshing relationships. If you are seeking God, ladies, and He tells you to move on, He will provide someone else to fill the gap, if it needs to be filled. For years I have believed the lie “if it’s gonna be, it’s up to me.” It is so refreshing to walk in the truth that some things aren’t my responsibility! I have been surprised to find that even though the number of commitments I have cut out is small, the increase in my energy, joy, and availability has multiplied exponentially!
• Follow the owner’s manual: God has given us instructions for peak performance. Following His commands produces fulfilling relationships and true refreshment: forgive quickly; be slow to anger; give generously; love deeply; seek first His kingdom; live out Acts 2:44 fellowship. We know these commands, but do we consistently apply them? Are we teachable and eagerly seeking fresh understanding? When we realize our sins do we repent and obey our Father quickly, cheerfully, and completely? He has told us now to live refreshed; we simply need to obey.
• Clean the windows: Remove the grime that obstructs your view. Get input consistent with God’s perspective. If the media you consume leaves you feeling empty, replace it with sources that exemplify God’s character and spur you on to love and good deeds. One of our pastors reminds us that we live in a booby-trapped world. Satan has plenty of land mines planted around us and eagerly waits for us to step on one. Some of those land mines cloud our minds with deception. The only way out of deception is taking in wonderful, refreshing truth.
• Plan for breakdowns: Don’t be surprised when problems arise. In recent weeks God keeps reminding me that this world isn’t heaven. Life in this world is hard, it is full of hurt, it contains many disappointments -- if it didn’t, it would be heaven. For us, sisters, the difficulties of this life are the worst we will ever have to endure. Our home in heaven offers what we long for: widespread righteousness, lasting peace, abundant joy, unconditional love, faultless justice, and more. But we’re not there yet, so keep pressing on! Keeping “tools” – bubble bath, a good movie, a favorite scripture, your sense of humor – on hand helps you get repaired and back on the road.

It is refreshing to bring a smile to the face of a hurting friend, to help a neighbor in need, to hear hopeful words from someone who has been struggling, to gain a fresh insight into God’s character. The little we give -- a smile, a kind word, a few minutes, a few dollars -- has big impact. In healthy giving we experience the refreshment promised by the writer of Proverbs 11:25!

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9 NLT)