Ministering in spite of our feelings

Here's what I know: we act our way into feelings; we don't feel our way into actions. So much of our lives consists of a series of choices that we make that are not dependant upon how we feel.

For example: It's always interesting to me when it comes to the responses I receive when I approach someone concerning a ministry opportunity.

When I hear, "George, let me pray about it," I know that is a no.

When I hear, "let me talk to my spouse about it," I know that is a maybe.

Every once in a while someone has said, "I don't want to." While I appreciate their honesty - it causes me to pause and to reflect on the fact that much of our lives consists of doing things we really don't want to do.

What better time to do something "we don't want to do - than when it's in ministry?" There is a lot in life that "I don't want to do," yet I do it knowing that it is building up the kingdom of God.

As I said last Sunday in the first service, "when will we ever come to the point where we do something in the kingdom of God, not for what we get out of it, but for what we can put into it?"

Brennan Manning has written:

"I believe that the real difference in the American church is not between conservatives and liberals, fundamentalists and charismatics, nor between Republicans and Democrats. The real difference is between the aware and the unaware.

When somebody is aware of that love—the same love that the Father has for Jesus—that person is just spontaneously grateful. Cries of thankfulness become the dominant characteristic of the interior life, and the byproduct of gratitude is joy. We're not joyful and then become grateful—we're grateful, and that makes us joyful."

May you be blessed today in making wise choices, not matter how you may feel.