As I started to brainstorm this blog, I realized I learned a lot in Costa Rica. It was a month full of unexpected ministry, diverse opportunities, and daily surrender to the Lord. But the one thing that I want to share comes in the form of some old Bill Withers lyrics:
I gotta spread the news
that if it feels this good being used
you just keep on using me
Oh until you use me up!
Before we arrived in Jaco, our ministry hosts asked us to take a test called “The Destiny Assessment”. It was essentially a combination of a personality and spiritual gifts test, and was going to be used to place us in our ministries for the month. It also had a space for us to write in our own passions and skills – for example: children’s ministry, music, teaching, fitness. I was sure that I would end up in some sort of teaching or worship position. After all, it was my destiny!
However, when I looked at the ministry schedule, I saw nothing next to my name that resembled the results of my Destiny Assessment – only the words “Playa Azul” and “OE Chores”. I was dusting rafters, picking up trash, and digging trenches. I had one opportunity to teach Sunday school, but you can imagine the emotional plummet after spending two hours in my element only to return to Playa Azul, digging trenches to line a field with tires while the rest of my squad was doing ministry that appealed to their passions – their God-given gifts and desires!
Little did I know, God was waiting to use me in unexpected ways – the ways He desired to use me.
At Playa Azul, I wasn’t just a working body. I was a listening ear, encourager, soccer player, handstand expert, painter, and creative.
During ATL (Ask The Lord), I wasn’t just wandering the streets. I was a prayer warrior, evangelist, Spirit-seeker, provider, and worshiper.
On base, I wasn’t just a helper. I was a gate-keeper, dish-washer, translator, grocery-shopper, tree-planter, and chef.
One morning during our daily devotional, as I was fighting some bitterness against my ministry assignment, Holy Spirit brought a crucial thought to my attention. If I only worked in the ways I thought I could be used, I would be disobedient to the ways God wanted to use me. Even more, He wanted bless me by using me in unexpected ways, and bless the people around me, too. By finding joy and love in every ministry, I could find parts of myself I didn’t know existed – I would find God there, too.
I believe God wants to use each and every one of us to further His kingdom, but He wants to do it His way. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, after all. I also believe that when we let God use us in the way He wants to, we’ll see extraordinary things happen for the sake of His glory. I started this blog with a song, and I’d like to end with one as well – a declaration that I will be used by the Lord:
There’s a ‘yes’ in our hearts
that carries through eternity.
Simple obedience
changes history.
Is there a ‘yes’ in your heart to be used by the Lord? Is there a ‘yes’ in your heart to the Lord at all? If you answered yes, I would love to hear about how the Lord has honored your willingness to serve. If you answered no, I would love to talk with you about what those yes’s could mean for you.
