Seek, Don't Mope

I met a friend when our Youth Ministry went to Yakama Valley Reservation to serve the Yakama Nation for a mission trip, his name is Brandon. In Youth Ministry there tends to be a lot of politics even between other Youth Pastors as far as beliefs go, theology, group size, most of it has to do with ego I am sure, but it is rare to meet someone and instantly become buddies not just mere acquaintances. So I follow him on Twitter, if you are wondering, his handle is @daxsdad, and I hope to collaborate with him on a few things. Regardless, today he posted this, “How are you engaging God today?”

When in ministry (or in life for that matter) it is easy to feel alone and so your reliance needs to be on the Lord and you need to find a community that is going to encourage you, both of these things are critical to continue in ministry. But lately I have felt closed off to God, like we were playing hide and go seek in a meadow and he is still hiding even though it is time for dinner.

At first glance it seems like a normal thing that your token Pastor friend would write to encourage those around him and especially those he does ministry with, “How are you engaging God today?” But I got to thinking about this question and the more I thought about the more that I came to realize that God hasn’t gone anywhere, I have. I counted to 100 and rather than finding His hiding spot I sat down and waited for my mom to call me in for meatloaf because I felt like the game was too hard.

God is everywhere, His creation is majestic, and he isn’t hiding, we just tend to get lazy, or bored, or frustrated, or busy and we sit and sulk rather than to glance up and see him smiling and swinging his legs on the Oak branch above you (Does Jesus climb trees?)

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”