So… what did you learn over your sabbatical?   I mean, the question itself is tough.  But I do feel that God showed me a couple of things…  One of the things that I have been reflecting on for the past number of months is my posture. Not my physical posture, although that is something I have been trying to be more aware of. My spiritual posture. My emotional posture.
I think that God is calling me to focus on a posture of grace and receptivity in this next season of life and ministry. Just before my sabbatical started, I had the opportunity to be a part of a coaches’ training time through Ecclesia. A
What struck me was how difficult it was to not insert my own.
In his fantastic book,
I am probably more comfortable, challenged, and clear on what God wants me to do than I have been in a long time. I am seeing fruit from my efforts – it is working. In the way I have asked God to make it work, on the timeline that I have asked for it to work. It doesn’t always happen that way, so I love the ride. That gives me a sense of confidence.
But I am learning I need to handle my confidence carefully. The line between confidence in God’s work in my life and through my life and arrogance can be a very thin one. I should know, I have crossed it many times and fully expect to cross it many more.  This isn’t a new thought. Â
So, God has been taking opportunities like my coaches training, sabbatical, and watching men and women that I have been building into take those things and apply them their own ways, to show me my limits. My weaknesses.
Paul the apostle said this, “Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. 2 Cor 12.9
I am working to get there.
Again, this needs to be emphasized. I love that God has blessed me with at least some wisdom and experience. Scripture refers to it a bit like a prize you receive if you persevere. I love that I have been serving in the context of [nlcf] for this long. I love that it seems that my gifts are useful. So the issue isn’t the wisdom, or the strength that it brings. The issue is that all too often I can forget that God gave that wisdom to me, that this isn’t my accomplishment. God has done the heavy lifiting.
Also, weakness in this context doesn’t mean I am hopeless, quite the opposite. God is calling me to remember that I have been adopted into his family. That he is available to me personally and as I move as a part of the family of God.  I am not weak at all, God gives me more than enough to walk through everything I will encounter…  My weakness means that I don’t rely on my own power, but his. Not my own wisdom, but his. Not my own plans, but his.
So, one of the things I saw over my sabbatical was that this next season of my life needs to involve more careful listening, more focus on how I need to move in God’s power and not my own. My weakness is my strength.
My prediction is that I will do it better than anyone ever has before. Â Count on it. Â 🙂 Â Oh wait….
Peace, Jim