Entrusting Others Into Kingdom Work

Sunday night for me was incredibly hard. Not because we were wrestling through big issues at youth group, not because we had a major technical meltdown but because things purposefully went out of my hands. In a staff meeting recently I was encouraged to make a commitment to "empower every Christ follower for kingdom work." What this means is simply that even if we can do it better we need to be humble enough to say that we can't do it all. Certain personalities would say that they can do it all and end up burning out and useless to the kingdom.

We are starting a look at Colossians here at St. Andrews. The church at Colossae was founded not by Paul but by Ephraphas who was sent out (home) and naturally the gospel spread. All this happened out of Paul's planting of the church in Ephesus. Paul trusted that if God starts kingdom work then it's God's role to finish it. In no way does God begin something and leave it up to us to finish. He uses us no doubt but it's ultimate success doesn't rest on us but on his sovereignty. Paul trusted Ephraphas and Christ. Sunday night I had to trust our youth leaders who were leading some intense discussion on some hard foundational issues. Yet it was hard to come up against that moment where I just sat in the hallway with the rest of the leadership team and fidget. To me it was an uncomfortable sign that I need to be more entrusting in God's people and God's sovereignty to see the good works he began come to completion. 

Here's some thoughts that have helped me process...

• Where in my life am I holding on tightly?
• Where is it uncomfortable to let go and trust?
  
• Where can I invite others into the ministry?
• Often I find that my uncomfortableness is a sign of my obsession to control the situation and outcome. Is this a bad thing? 
• One the one hand I don't want to hold the ministry so tightly that God has to pry my hands off of it. Yet on the other I don't want to hold it so loosely that every wind blows in and i have to chase after it as a leader. 
• What does this say to students? How can I be more like Paul sending out Ephraphas. Excited to see what God does and trusting in his provision.
• What does this mean for my family and how I lead them?