Motives in Pursuing Movements
Last week we had our annual eLife family meet-up in Portland.
Suzie invited me, John & Tyler to be a part of a panel discussion on Friday morning. I’m thankful she told us the questions ahead of time so that we’d be able to put some thought & prayer into our answers.
One of the questions she asked was:
What issues of your heart has God talked to you about and brought change to?
I wrote down several heart issues the Lord has dealt with me on, but the first one that came to mind was the one I shared.
I described it as “why I’m pursuing movements.”
And then I shared a question I believe God has asked me over the years.
Am I on this journey for God to use ME to bring movements where I have asked him to, when I’ve asked him to and how I’ve asked him to OR am I on this journey for God to bring movements where he wants to, when he wants to, how he wants to, and use me any way he wants to?
I shared that the first part of that question tends to put us in the place of God, instructing him in what he’s going to do, rather than having him instruct us in what he’s already planned to do. After all, he’s the Lord of the harvest, not us.
This is definitely a heart issue that I’ve dealt with.
For many years of this journey, I was leaning into the first part of the question more than the second.
It often sounded like this:
God, use me! I want to be a movement catalyst! Bring movements to my town! Do it now! Use my DMM efforts to catalyze it!
Is that a bad prayer? Not necessarily.
I think many of us have prayed something along those lines with good motives & pure hearts wanting God to move, and use us, for his glory!
The problem comes when God answers that prayer a bit differently than we prayed it, but we dig our heels in & demand he answer it the way we originally asked.
Sometimes God may see our hearts in that initial prayer & answer it by showing us a different place he’s working, a different role we can play, and a different process that’s bearing fruit.
How we respond to what God shows us is often an indication of where our heart really is.
If we dig in our heels & think, “No, Lord. Not there. Not that role. I asked for it in my town. I want to be the catalyst. I’m called to work here,” therein lies the problem.
You may not consciously say or think that, but your actions will show if it’s really your heart.
The original prayer, albeit initially prayed with good motives, has proven to actually become idolatrous. My place. My time. Through me. Or else.
That’s when it becomes dangerous.
Instead, the heart position I believe the Lord wants us to have is:
Yes, Lord, I long for movements in my town and to be a part of it, but if you show me a different place you want me to work or a different role you want me to play, I’m in! You are God and I’m your servant. Here I am, send me!
This prayer reflects that your heart is certainly to see movements where you’re working but ultimately to be a part of them wherever God is working.
How do we know where our heart is?
I think asking yourself a few questions can help.
Am I digging my heels into the area I want God to move even though God has shown me other places he’s working where I could join?
Am I holding out hope that I can be an inside catalyst and turning down opportunities to serve movements or be an outside catalyst?
Am I clinging to my own disciple-making process even when another process appears to be more fruitful?
Our response to these questions can give an indication of where our hearts are.
My prayer is that all of us would regularly examine our hearts & pray with David:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).