Stepping Up Your Game for Christ

 Unfortunately, the car saga I spoke of last month was not over.  My check engine light came on a week after the 2nd shop fixed what the first shop broke, but wouldn’t you know that there was more that needed to be fixed.  My belt started making a rather embarrassing high pitched squeal so I took it back over to Bell’s Automotive.  Unfortunately, Bell’s was super busy or super unorganized and after two attempts to bring in my car to get it fixed and having to listen to a song and dance about the repair industry I decided to take my chances on a third shop and I am glad I did.  I called All Pro Automotive and they were able to see me the same day so I drove over with a choking engine.  Earlier in the day a smoke cloud the size of Texas came out of my tail pipe, which is one of the reasons I decided to check out another shop.  Bell’s wanted to give me a new sensor, but I knew that giant smoke clouds and hesitating engines meant something else was happening under my hood.  Would you believe that wonderful Monument Road Tire and Service forgot to put the PVC Pipe in my Upper Intake, which caused a vacuum situation where air and oil was being sucked out of my engine at an insane rate!  What’s more worrisome is that Bell’s did not pick up on the fact that my Upper Intake was actually on wrong, which is why I am glad I took it to All Pro Automotive.  I have been driving all over Jacksonville for over three weeks and I am happy to report that my car is finally back to normal.  If I have any more car issues, I will be taking my business to All Pro Automotive.

 So while I was going through all of this car trouble with a very limited access to cash or credit cards, I was continuing my search for a church home here in Jacksonville.   I am about halfway through my list of churches to visit and getting more and more impatient everyday.  I miss my church in Los Angeles and I miss my friends even more.  I do not yet have a community here and while I am a part of the quiet revolution I also relish my social time and have a giant need for community and a sense of belonging.  It was during one of these church visits that God shot me one between the eyes.  I believe I was in a week - long period of really seeking God’s will because I am honestly confused about how things are going here in Jax.  I know God led me here and I know that the why has nothing to do with my day job, but you would think He would still have something nice in mind, right?  Well, as has happened many a time before, I was seeking God for a very specific situation and He had an entirely different topic in mind.  The preacher at RiverTown was speaking on spiritual family trees and how important it is for each of us to be intentional in how we impact the people who have been placed in our lives.  I think Tim Tebow said it best when he said, “…you’re either leading people somewhere good or you’re leading people somewhere bad… Where are you leading the people in your life? …Is their life better or worse for having known you?”  Ultimately, the pastor at RiverTown was speaking on the importance of leading people in the direction of Jesus Christ and the importance of creating our own spiritual family trees and it was in this sermon that God finally spoke to me, but it was not about my dire situation.  He simply asked me a question that has haunted me ever since.  He asked, “Why are you acting like a rookie, when you’re a veteran of the faith?” 

 Later that same day, God reminded me that whenever I have had spurts of sobriety in my life, I have always moved towards ministry.  I mean that thought could probably encompass another entire blog or two, but for now I am just going to focus on the fact that when I am the real me and not the drunk me, Christian ministry becomes a major part of my life.  In my first bout of sobriety I was a high school girls Bible Study leader and mission tripper.  In my 2nd bout of sobriety I was a 1st grade Sunday school teacher and a regular volunteer with the Urban ministry at the church I was attending at the time.  My third and final bout of sobriety has had me working in church service production along side the pastor and worship leader and now I am finding my way into Celebrate Recovery and am looking to go through a CR step program so I can lead others to the same freedom I have found.  I really feel like God is calling me up and out.  I feel like He thinks I have enough sobriety at this point to step back into my destiny (which apparently involves ministry) and it starts with taking on a more leadership role with the people in my life, the programs I am involved in and whatever church I make my home.  For me this means putting the focus on the people around me instead of myself.  It also means being aware of how my words and actions impact how others view me and in turn how others view God.

 Not everyone is called to ministry or even lay ministry for that matter, but each of us does have a responsibility to the people God has placed in our lives.  If you think about it, we’re all looking at someone who is at the level we are about to step into.  Take a church body for example: the ministry leaders are looking at the pastor; the Bible study leaders are looking at the ministry leaders; the Bible study participants are looking at the Bible study leaders and church volunteers; regular church attendees are looking at the church volunteers and the Bible study participants; the non-regular church attendees and looking at the regular church attendees and the once, twice or never church goers are looking at the non-regular attendees and thinking ‘I really need to start going more like Jenny does.’  So in all actuality, we all have someone looking up from where they are at to where we are.  So, I am going to ask all of you: Is God calling you to step up your game for Him?   If so, what does stepping up for Christ look like for you?  Does it mean becoming more involved in your church? Being more strategic with the impact you have on those around you?  Maybe it means giving something up that is confusing and distorting the message you are trying to send…