Pioneering Spirit
About a week ago, Debbie and I had the opportunity to meet the family who has graciously given us a house to live in while we are getting settled, starting the church and building our house. It turns out that Carl’s dad was a church planter. His Dad planted his first church in Ohio in 1943. That morning Carl had spoken with his Dad and the conversation was about church planting and the pioneering spirit that it requires to do something like that. Carl said his Dad’s wisdom that morning was that you need to be careful to guard that pioneer spirit because it is very easy to get into the status quo and forget that spirit. That was a strong word but a convicting word for me. I realize how easy it would be to lose that edge and settle for less than what God has called me to do. Many times that is the easiest way and has the strongest temptation. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about the wide and narrow gates. He challenges us to, “Enter by the narrow gate. for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” When we interpret this verse, we most often reference it with eternal life. But maybe Jesus meant much more than that. To do what other people are doing is very easy because most of the time it is the accepted way and many people get on board because it is popular. But try and do something radically different and you are scorned and looked down upon; even though what you are doing is theologically and Biblically correct it might not be the popular thing to do at the time. I am praying that I will never lose that fire; that edge in life and ministry.
At the end of our conversation, Carl looked at my boys and told them to watch and learn from what we were doing in planting Journey Church. He told them this was life lessons for them. He challenged them to observe how Debbie and I would grow in our faith through this and to be a part of what God is doing in and through us. I sat there weaping when I thought about the awesome task before us and the privilege that God had blessed us with. I am anxious to see what God is going to do. May we say as Zechariah said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.”
