God Is With You

A mentor of mine used to say that ministry can feel lonely, but it isn’t lonely. He meant that there will come seasons in which it can feel like you are going at it alone. And there will be seasons in which you will indeed be going at it alone at a human level. But take heart even during those bleak times because God is always with you.

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When the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Jesus, he described Him in several ways. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. He also described him as Emmanual, which means God with us. Even before the arrival of Jesus, we are given a glimpse into His mission to be with humanity. This mission continued after His departure. When He ascended into heaven, He assured His disciples of His ongoing presence. The last thing He told them on earth was that He would “be with [them] always, to the very end of the age.”

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God Is With You

Every Friday, I drive my eldest daughter to school for orchestra practice. As she exits the car with cello in hand, I lower the passenger window and proclaim my love for her in front of the other students and faculty, which equally encourages and embarrasses her.

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One Friday morning, she was running late. This tardiness, coupled with a fair dose of preteen attitude, was causing me to lose my patience. When I lowered the window, I froze. At that moment, I didn’t feel very loving towards her and didn’t know what to say. In that unloving moment, I quickly grasped for another truth I could proclaim. One that is outside of myself and not tied to the moment or my mood. A statement that will always be true. Regardless of whether or not we are running on schedule. And in that moment I blurted out, “God is with you.” 

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Ever since that frustrating Friday, I have left my daughter with the truth that God is with her—even if she is running late, even if I don’t feel like it, even if the principal thinks I am proselytizing on school grounds because it’s a truth that will outlast myself and one that isn’t grounded in the fickleness of feelings.

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God Is With You In The Lows Of Ministry

After being in ministry for over twenty years there have been times I wanted to quit. Carrying a heavy weight at times, seemingly by myself, felt like too much of a burden to bear. During these low points, I would do one of two things. I would either open up my resume and start reframing it for a corporate position. Or I would turn to God for comfort and connection. Turning to Him allowed me to realize I wasn’t alone. This in turn, gave me the capacity to recenter and regroup during difficult seasons. If you are in one of these seasons, I encourage you to turn to Him as well.

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But I have to be honest. Sometimes I didn’t feel I had the ability to turn to God. I felt so worn out that I couldn’t muster the strength to sit in His presence. Or, more accurately, I didn’t have the desire to pursue Him. In these moments of low, I would call a trusted friend who wasn’t in the same low position for encouragement. I would ask him if it was all true. That God is real. That He is on the throne. And that, even though I don’t feel it, He is still with me. You might be at a low point where you don’t even want to turn to God. If that is the case, then turn to a friend. And allow them to help turn you to God and experience His companionship anew.

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God Is With You In The Highs Of Ministry

Often we need to remind ourselves that God is present during times of failure. But we need to equally remind ourselves that He is also present during times of success. There are two reasons for this. One, if we forget that God is involved during the highs, we rob Him of His glory. The church experiences an increase in giving, sees additional baptisms, or has grown to such a degree that services or even campuses need to expand. If we do not reflect on God’s nearness during these times, we won’t give Him the credit He deserves for Kingdom growth.

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The second reason we need to acknowledge that God is working in our midst is because if we don’t give Him credit, we usually take credit ourselves. We tell ourselves that we accomplished it. Or that a particular initiative moved forward because of our efforts. Acknowledging that God is at work during seasons of success ensures that He, and not ourselves, gets the needed glory.

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Conclusion

This week, think through which type of season you are in—a season of highs or lows. Look for God's activity and acknowledge his closeness to you. This will ensure He receives credit during successful seasons and you get comfort during struggling seasons.

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