I tried to call several people this afternoon. No one answered. I decided that maybe they were napping which is really what I wanted to be doing. I slept lightly for about an hour, interrupted for the last fifteen minutes or so with rumblings of thunder. I thought about the prophet Elijah. “Then [God] said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:11-13).
God is all powerful and yet He often chooses a still small voice. As I continued to lay on the couch listening to the distant rumble as well as the nearby BOOM, I wondered about God. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, even the Redeemer. And yet He cares about me. I can understand Him caring about the prophets. They were doing a great work on His behalf. I can understand Him caring about church leaders and even secular leaders because they are shepherds of the people. But who am I? “What is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?” (Psalm 8:4, NIV). The thunder sounds so powerful, so big it can shake the house, and God is infinitely bigger than that. I do not doubt that God is out there, but is He in here… where I am?
I realize this kind of wondering is not good or profitable but my mind sometimes goes places before I realize where it is headed. Then I looked at my phone and immediately an email came in from a church member with a kind message. Perhaps that was just coincidence. And yet… perhaps not. What did the still small voice communicate to Elijah? Scripture doesn’t say that it used any specific words but obviously it conveyed something since he got up and went to the cave entrance. Only after that does scripture say “a voice came to him.” Perhaps that still small voice was his conscience, a quiet reminder that God was still with him. And then God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Maybe God was saying to me, “What are you doing here, Deidre? Why are you contemplating something I’ve answered and assured you of countless times? Do not trust your heart, instead trust Me.”
We discussed today what it means to “to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8b). Someone said it means having a teachable attitude. I would add that it also means having a leadable spirit. We might be willing to be taught something but are we willing to go where the Spirit sends us? “So [Elijah] departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing… Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah… and became his servant” (1 Kings 19:19-21). How do we discern God’s call? For Elisha it was pretty obvious, basically hitting him over the head! If we are willing, are we to jump up and offer to help with anything that crosses our path? In 1 Kings chapter 13, the Lord warns an unnamed prophet not to eat or drink anything along his return journey from speaking with the king. An “old prophet” hears what transpired and seeks out this prophet. Through a lie he convinces him to eat and drink. Immediately the word of the Lord comes down upon the man from the very lips of the false prophet and he dies on the way home. The Lord desires us to be humble, teachable, and leadable but with a discerning mind. We must pray and seek guidance from God to determine if (1) this is something the Lord desires, (2) does this fall in my sphere of spiritual gifts, and (3) am I willing to do it?
Not all ideas or suggestions for church ministry are from God even if they come from godly people. This is why we pray and have meetings to discuss them, to ensure what we want to do is in line with scripture and the will of God. Then we should consider if we have the spiritual gifts to fulfill the need. As the apostle Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 12, not everyone is given the same spiritual gifts. However, everyone is given something and it is up to us to be willing to find out what those gifts are. After successfully navigating both 1 and 2, then we need to determine if we are willing to do the job. There are people who seem to be well suited for many ministries. However, that doesn’t mean they should be burdened with everything! God does not ask us to work ourselves to death. Scripture provides examples of Biblical giants realizing when they need help or a break including when Jesus would rest and when Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, told Moses to appoint judges over the people so he would not get worn out (Exodus 18). We should also take note that Jethro did not ask Moses to do anything without consulting God. We can assume that God approved since the plan moved forward and the new judges accepted the call.
After these three criteria are considered, we need to ask ourselves if God says, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Are we willing to say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8b).