Who’s in Charge?

September is one of the craziest months for a pastor.  New programs, groups, sermon series’, and a whole lot more make for long hours and extra effort during the fall.  But as I was driving down the road recently, God reminded me that whatever I thought was really important could only be done by him.  The programs, the groups, the new series, and everything else were just vehicles to do what I really want God to do…change lives.  And if I really want God to change lives, God says, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit.”  (Zech 4:6)

I want God to change lives, have more baptisms, more first-time committments to Christ, more people reconnecting with God who have been far from God…all those things only God can do.  No matter how clever, edgy, or determined I am to see Emmaus be a successful church plant, it won’t be by my own effort.  But in the end, God is large and in charge.  He is able to do much more than what I can ask, dream, or imagine.

So much of the Bible is about people who learn to depend on God.  So much of the Bible is about people who depend on themselves to accomplish whatever it is that they want.  Too often we rely on our own strength and wisdom.  But when God sees an open door of willingness on our side to depend on him, when we have faith in him for impossible things, he is free to grow what we’re watering.