I'm sorry I'm in your way

We have just reached the halfway point in Ephesians. The first three chapters are primarily about what's true ("indicative"), and the last three chapters are more about what to do ("imperative"). We are presently right between the two halves, holding in our back pocket what we have learned about God's work while reaching forward to how those truths should find be expressed in how we walk day after day.

One thing that is abundantly clear from those first three chapters is that the real power that changes our lives is not our lone effort, but the very hand of God. He called us and provided salvation for us (chapter 1), He made us alive and brought us near (chapter 2), and He displays His manifold wisdom and can fill us beyond our own ability to imagine (chapter 3). The hand that truly changes lives is not mere flesh.

Therefore, the ideal in ministry is to cultivate God's work in the lives of people. Not to do the work, not to be the hero, not to implement the jazziest program, and not to have all the answers. Rather, the best we can do in ministry is provide the ripest environment for someone to receive the only real work that changes us in eternal ways. A farmer doesn't make plants grow - but he works hard to create the richest environment for that growth to occur.

However, sometimes in our efforts, we get in the way. More to the point, sometimes I get in the way. Just recently, as I was mowing the lawn (so, you know it wasn't all that recent), I was tumbling through my head several ways that I have gotten in the way. In just about every area of responsibility, I can name ways that I have occasionally gotten in the way instead of making the way straight. Teaching, administrating, communicating, preaching, praying, counseling, coaching - you name an area, I can point to ways that I get between God's power and the people I'm supposed to be assisting.

For that, I apologize. And I admit that I have not yet figured out how to keep out of the way, so I will get in the way again. But I'm interested in far more than issuing an apology for past and future shortcomings. My main purpose here is to encourage all of us, including me, to be ongoing students of what it really means that only God's power transforms.

Whether we are teaching or sharing our faith or being involved in ministry activities, how can we get out of the way? How are we tempted to get in the way, and then how can we step aside? How can we prepare the soil for God's power to be most effective in others (and in ourselves)? For example, do I teach in a way that adds the burden of lone human effort, or do I connect people with God's potent eagerness to be at work in us?

I'm prompted to write not because of some particular incident, and I'm not beating myself up. But I did have one of those too-infrequent moments of clarity in seeing some specific ways where my efforts occlude rather than reveal. I suspect that I'm not alone in this. With our continued partnership, we have everything we need in order to have a greater impact by learning better how to just get out of the way.

Of course, that only makes sense if God's power is in fact reliable. It comes down to whether or not we really believe this to be true.

What are the chances?

Ever since I got involved with ministry in Kenya, one huge barrier for us has been that we can't ship anything over the reliably and affordably. It's expensive, for sure, and there's no guarantee that whatever we spent on shipping would actually result in the items making their final destination. I once sent four used books to a pastor friend, all properly labeled and showing that there was no commercial value to the contents, and it still took 18 months for the books to reach him. We've heard worse stories.

This, of course, makes it more difficult to help in tangible ways. We can't ship school supplies, uniforms, materials, lessons, electronics, or any number of things that would benefit the ministry there. We can bring money in and buy materials there, which can work well, but sometimes the options of what is available in country are limited.

We also continually struggle with the lack of reliable electricity at the ministry sites. Some buildings have none at all, some use noisy generators that require fuel, and some have electricity, but it's not reliable and it can be expensive.

So, what are the chances of coming to Kansas City and connecting with a Kenyan pastor (based on a conversation with a waitress) who has a member of his church who owns a shipping business that ships items to Kenya reliably? What are the chances that this man offers to that pastor some of the container space for each shipment? What are the chances of that pastor offering to us use of some of that space for free? And what are the chances that this arrangement has never failed to get the shipped materials through customs and to the final destination in a timely fashion?

Furthermore, what are the chances of getting connected with a professor at JCCC (basically across the road from our house) who has lived around the world installing solar power in developing areas? What are the chances that this professor has a Kenyan student with years of electrical experience and a passion to install solar power in Kenya?

The only way we could ever affordably ship solar devices to Kenya would be to have cheap (or free!) space in a container. Plus we would also need a virtual guarantee that this precious equipment will get through customs and reach its final destination. What are the chances of all of these connections being made in the same week?

That is what is happening before our eyes. And I'm grateful to God for what appears to be an amazing provision for the very things we need.

If the Lord does in fact put all these pieces in place, you will certainly be hearing more about it. In the meantime, please pray that He would make all this happen, according to His will.