Creating Atmosphere

Photo by: Cody Jonathon Haines

On the way to Yosemite from Joshua Tree National Park, we drove by what can only be described as a field of Windmills.  I love Wind Energy, solar energy, anything off the grid, but am especially enamored with Wind Mills. The reason this sight was so amazing is that the amount of wind harnessed by these hundreds of windmills seemed to be creating an atmosphere of its own.  The skies were blue everywhere else, but above this field of windmills, there were clouds and fog surrounding them.  It was breathtaking.  Do we create atmospheres in our homes, families, or places of work, by how we interact with our surroundings? I believe we do.

 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:1-2 ESV)

Paul states here that we have our ministries, by the mercy of God.  We don’t deserve them, we don’t earn them; they are stewardships handed to us by God.  Have you ever wielded your ministry as if it were yours to do with what you wish?  I have, and I am so ashamed of this failure in my life.  But God has forgiven me, and so I forgive myself based on His Grace. 

But notice in the Scripture above also says that we do not lose heart when we remember that our ministries are given to us by the mercy of God.  We don’t earn them, so we do not have to manipulate to keep them. We don’t deserve them, so we mustn’t get big-headed and arrogant within our ministries.  In the past, I confess, I have done both. 

But God is good to bring correction to our lives.  He softly whispers our needs to change our thinking, our ways of doing things, etc.  If we don’t listen to the whisper, He may roar loudly, through circumstances, other people or the Word, to remind us that our ministries are given to us as a gift, by His mercy.  We are mere stewards of the grace of God in practicing our gifts.  How desperately we need to remember this as we interact with one another in the Body of Christ, and with the world. 

Show grace, because you so desperately need grace. and boy, so do I, and lots of it. We create atmospheres where we live, work and minister. We carry our attitudes in our demeanors, our facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.  Let’s remember that our gifts are given to us to build up the Body, and not for our own gain.  Let’s serve one another, remembering that all we have and all we are able to do, are only by the Mercy of God.