Raising Teams

I have been fund-raising for my mission, and realized that I'm not raising funds, but raising teams.  That was one of the most amazing things I realized, because it sheds light on the Church.  Christ isn't raising funds, but raising a team of people so unified they are called His bride.  One bride, one body, one pursuit.  Some are the hands, some are eyes, some are the feet.  

I started thinking about what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12 hoping to understand and appreciate the various roles in a team.  What do the hands do, or the feet, or the eyes or ears?  In an attempt to better understand my individual purpose, I stumbled upon something greater.

I saw a picture of a bride climbing a mountain.  At various times, the climber used her hands to pull herself up the cliff.  At other times, the climber had to look for proper footholds.  At other times the ears had to listen for the encouraging call of the Groom.

Then I realized those weren't separate times, but ways the body brings us closer to Christ.

There are times in life when we climb mountains, swim oceans, or eat meals to gain strength, but regardless of the activity, we are continually, and concertedly pursuing Christ.

The times we climb the mountain, we are using both our hands and our feet to pull ourselves up the cliff.  But if we take our eyes off of Christ to look for a foothold, we need to be sure that our ears are listening to His call.

When we are swimming oceans, we are using our hands and feet to propel us towards shore.  Our eyes are fixed on Christ and our ears are listening to crashing of the waves.  But if we find ourselves sinking into the water, Jesus will grab our hand and pull us out.

So rejoice in your role on Christ's team, because sometimes it's your role that brings us closer to the Prize.

Please email me if you want to be apart of the ministry team at Elmbrook Men.  I'll be interning there this year, and need help from supporters of all kinds.  Can you donate time or money?  How about encouragement, or creative ideas.  Sometimes I need correction and accountability.  

joshua.wheeler03@gmail.com

A Humbling Experience

In my last blog, I mentioned that I refused to worship power and money like the sales manager expected me to.  By standing my ground, I grew stronger in my faith, and more capable of seeing the supreme value of Christ compared to everything else.  There was more to this experience than just personal benefit though.

There was a surge of power rising through my veins after I stood my moral ground that day.  I saw the foolishness of my boss's perspective, and didn't want to participate in it.  My muscles became tense, and I envisioned myself stomping the ground and telling my boss I can't work with such heathens.  "I'm the adopted son of Father God; the brother to the King, I deserve better...."  But right before I was about to carry out my plan, I felt a voice prompting me to stay.  

Although I stayed, I really complained a lot to God.  You know, the "woe is me" type of complaining.  The first month was emotionally and mentally painful, but it drove me closer to God.  As I grew closer to God, I was able to find peace and contentment in where I was (a huge blessing given to Christians btw).  Eventually, I was able to quit focusing on my discomforts, and start to consider other people.  That's when I became amazed...

The people around me were changing!  One of the guys started going to church, the other started to read the Psalms to his wife, another asked me the reason for the hope I have, and both my manager and his boss allowed me to share the gospel with them!  God was opening doors, and giving me an opportunity to share His love.

But the experience that impacted me the most came during the last two weeks I was there.  One of my coworkers had a customer yell at him, and while I was thinking to myself, "HANG UP ON HIM," my boss grabbed the phone.

I immediately stopped what I was doing, and focused all my attention on the scene that was unfolding.  It was a flashback to my first week at the company: a customer on the phone yelling at me, and my boss telling me to yell back.  Would my boss repeat his actions?

With patience and humility, he said, "Sir, we didn't mean to offend you.  We are only salesmen trying to make a living.  We won't call you anymore, and have a great day."

Wow!

The person I was so quick to judge initially, became more patient and respectful than I was at that moment.  How humbling!  How amazing!  How characteristic of Christ's love!

The thing I've learned in life is that although I am an adopted son of Father God and I am a brother to the King of Kings, His free gift is not for my glory, fame, power, or wealth.  It's for my neighbor's.  I've been blessed to bless others.  Philippians 2 summarizes my role:  

 ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 ⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

I praise Jesus for His willingness to do what I am unable to on my own.  

 

In the pressure cooker again

I've been working as a telephone salesman this past month while undergoing the interviewing process at a local church, and it's been a real trial.  During my small group, one of the guys asked what our current low point in life was, and I admitted it was my job.  He then asked what our current high point in life was, and I replied it was also that same job!  The guys in my group were a bit confused.

In fact, everyone has been a little confused about my decision to work at this company lately (including myself!).  I don't like phone sales, I have no experience or interest in the product, and my boss told me that I have to sacrifice my morals in order to work there.  In fact, he stood before me one day and commanded me to sin...

I'm prone to sin like everyone else, but I think it's important to stand your ground against immorality; especially when people try to convince you otherwise.  Psalm 118:8 says that "it's better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

I use the word "especially" for a reason.  It's not because I think that it's okay to sin when no one is looking, or to play the part of a "holy roller" when everyone is.  I say "especially," because you have an incredible opportunity to witness God's glory at the moment of peer pressure.

My natural bent is to submit to peer pressure.  I started seeking acceptance from other people instead of God during 7th grade, and it's a path I never want to repeat.  Life gets really hard and ugly when sinful people control your behavior; as in my experience of addictions, discouragements, embarrassments and flat-out suffering.

But there was something special about the day I stood my ground, and I think it had to do with a few blessings that God wanted to provide.

As my boss stood before me yelling, "TELL HIM TO GO (bleep) HIMSELF," I realized how much this job sucks, and I didn't want to be here for the rest of my life.  In fact, the sooner I get out, the better!  So at that moment, I stood my ground, and said "NO."

(In most of my choices there is usually a selfless motive and a selfish motive.  Trying to get fired was the selfish one, but there was a selfless one as well.)

Paul said in Philippians 3:7-8 "I once thought these things were valuable, but now consider them worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him."  NLT

I use to love money and the opinions of people, but I'm starting to love Jesus more.  I still struggle to be single-minded for Jesus (everyone does), but it's getting easier as I realize how worthless other things in life are when compared to Him.  He is becoming what I really want by following through on His promise: "Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:4

So what were the blessings that God revealed to me on the day I held up under peer pressure?  He revealed that He was in control of my situation, by preventing me from being fired.  He revealed that my desires were being transformed by Him, He revealed that His worth was growing in my heart, and He revealed a bit more of Himself.

But those are only a few of the blessings...