Commitment

part 3... the third C of ministry...

Commitment- continually acting on conviction that is greater than circumstances.

Daniel 6:10 ESV
"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed he went up to his house where he had windows in his upper changer open toward Jerusalem.  He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously."

Daniel set a pattern with his life that modeled a committed relationship to God from his youth.  Nothing was going to deter him from acting on this conviction- even the threat of a violent death (see context).  This should be our first priority of commitment- to be a committed follower of Christ.

Other things that a Christian is called to be committed to:

Marriage, family, a church, and community; prayer, worship, and reading God's word; purity, love, a job, and friendships; etc.

Courage

part 2...the second C of ministry...

Courage- experiencing genuine fear and pressing forward anyway.  Godly leadership requires courage.

Most fears are related to a desire to be comfortable, certain, or in control.  We run from physical and emotional pain to try to stay comfortable.  We always want to know everything so that we can be certain about a decision or the world around us.  We are not satisfied with contributing, but desire to control things so that they are just the way we like them.  Objective attention to advertising shows that most ads attempt to increase ones desire for these things so that people buy their product to help satisfy their desire.  This is our world.  To be courageous is not just for warriors on the battlefield.  It is for those who want to live a purposeful everyday life in modern western culture.

To be successful requires having courage in the face of failure, opposition, pain, and criticism.  Becoming a Christian does not alleviate these challenges, but enhances them.  Moreover, being a Christian provides purpose, meaning, and motivation for overcoming.  To top it off, God himself lives inside us to empower us to step forward in faith.  This takes place in everyday interaction and major life decisions. 

"Be on your guard;

stand firm in the faith;

be men of courage;

be strong.

Do everything in love."   (1Cor 16:13-14)

Confidence

This blog is the first of a 3-part series on the 3 C's of my calling in ministry.  Through my various ministry engagements, these things have proven to be the backbone of how I encourage youth.  I've found this simplification to be a helpful way to categorize the vast web of ministry.

Confidence- complete trust in what is true.  I am confident in my identity in Christ Jesus.

My inspiration for this C comes from Daniel 3:16-18.  These men are so confident in God that they trust God with their lives (literally) as they take a stand for truth in face of ultimate opposition.  Mature faith is marked by a confidence in Godly identity. 

My experience has been that most people really don't know who they are.  Thus, their life is devoted to jumping from one idea, philosophy, religion, job, sport, style of clothing, image, etc to another in hopes of discovering meaning.  God is the objective standard of truth.  We cannot hope to alter that with a whim of the moment or our best reasoning.  God's truth is found in the Bible.  It says of God's people,"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2Cor 5:17)  "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil 1:6)  Do you believe this?  If you don't know Christ, who are you?

Generation iY

There are good books, great books, and then there's the best book I've read to date on how to assess, lead, motivate, and minister to today's youth culture: Generation iY by Tim Elmore.  I put this book in the must read category for parents, educators, youth pastors, and employers.