Passage: 1 Corinthians 16:1-24
So we’re reading this passage again this week and it will conclude the SCC program for the summer. I’m not sure what I am going to blog about for the next couple of months but I’m praying about it. I want to continue my solitude time with God and share it with you to help encourage those in the SCC lifestyle as well as other followers. So don’t go anywhere!
Last Sunday our Pastor Dr. Paul Little talked about four points from this chapter. His four points were: Generosity, Relationships, Optimism, and Welcoming. You can hear his message if you click here.
Something I have been struggling with over the past few weeks is the ability to stay optimistic. I’m going to share a few things about what Dr. Paul Little said as well as a few of my own thoughts in regards to optimism.
Dr. Paul Little challenged us about not letting opposition to prevent you from seeing the opportunity. He also stated that with opposition always comes an opportunity and I said, AMEN! He convicted us but also mentioning that we have a fundamental optimism in God so what challenge are you thinking of walking away from?
For me these past few months optimism has been hard. I have had to do a lot of pruning in my life and not knowing really what God has planned for me is a challenge. I have peace about what I am supposed to be doing and I am following His will but pruning hurts. After pruning there is always new growth and I have already experienced new growth on some ‘branches’. I have watched God open obvious doors in my life, like through an email I got last week but then other doors have slammed shut. It’s interesting being at a crossroad. I have watched God encourage me by showing me tidbits of things to come but not fully revealing them to me in order to keep me on my knees and faithful in this process. I enjoy the thought though of ‘what are you walking away from’. It was convicting not to fall short of the blessing that awaits me.
Of course there is opposition but if we let that stop us than what will become of our situation. Perhaps we give up just before we are about to reach what God has planned for us. Perhaps the blessing is something we’ll never know because we were too scared to step outside our ‘bubble’ or didn’t think it could ever happen to us. But if God has a plan to use you, (and why not you?) than who are we to stop Him? What an honor to be able to be used by God. Perhaps if we actually did look at it like an honor and not so much a choice we would do His will.
If Queen Elizabeth asked you to tea would you say no because you were too scared or because you could not afford the plane ticket? Likely not. Well perhaps the King of Kings is asking you do go somewhere or do something, so what challenge are you running from?
In the coming weeks I will begin volunteering in the pediatric ward at Credit Valley Hospital to play the harp for the children and possibly in the NICU too. Since there was a lot of opposition on a personal level for me (not from the hospital, but my own fears) I can’t wait to see what God is going to do through this opportunity! I think God has a huge plan because no one has ever done this before so it’s exciting and I feel so honored.
Share with us what He is doing through you and what God is challenging you with. If you are experiencing opposition than leave your comments and prayer requests so we can pray for each other.
In the clay,
Chantal Dube