{"id":23634,"date":"2019-06-22T14:58:57","date_gmt":"2019-06-22T21:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=23634"},"modified":"2019-06-22T14:58:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-22T21:58:57","slug":"sorry-its-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/sorry-its-late\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry its late!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wow! Talk about a smack in the face! In \u201cMining for Gold,\u201d Comacho had me from the beginning; what can I say, it\u2019s one of those \u201cGod\u201d books I enjoy reading. To draw me deeper, the author used King David as a reference point; one man that has always inspired and motivated me as a minister and Christian. However, that was not the \u201cWow\u201d moment. It was after Comacho told this enthralling recap of how David was selected to be king and then wrote, \u201cGod is looking for Samuels, leaders who will see the gold in people by the Spirit and draw out those riches for his purpose[1]<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0I was shocked; for most of my life, it was DAVID that inspired the man I strove to be\u2026not Samuel. Perhaps there is too much of a desire instilled in all of us to have that spotlight shining upon us; that secret need for attention. Is that truly who God has called us to be though\u2026I mean we\u2026the minister? On one hand we see the \u201cArmor of God\u201d instruction, which surely makes us desire to be warriors in this fight against Satan[2]<\/a>. \u00a0However, this made me wonder, am I the warrior or the drill sergeant?<\/p>\n

As I read through the early parts of this book, I was constantly thinking about something one of my elders asked me last week; \u201cShawn, you preach like you actually hope people are going to change. Do you ever actually see that happen?\u201d I\u2019m still pondering whether the saddest part of this question is that my elder seems to have lost hope, or the fact that it really does seem harder and harder to convince someone that God is worth the sacrifice. To answer the question though; I have seen some incredible life transformations through my years as a minister. I have been fascinated and enthralled by the ways the Spirit has infused Himself into the lives of different individuals and allowed me to see them grow. I have thought about the role that Christ played in His time with us, and recognize that not only did He come to die, but also that He came to train others to take up the cross when He left. Is that not also our own challenge in the faith? God did not give us the impossible mission (cue the appropriate movie soundtrack); He gave us a mission of purpose. Romans 12:2 reads,<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Word is a changing power, and we are the vessels God uses to help others find that transformation within themselves.<\/p>\n

Now, I am still holding to the statement mentioned first; \u201cGod is looking for Samuels.\u201d I was raised being told the tales of David, King of Israel; defeater of Goliath; and the man after God\u2019s own heart; I mean come on\u2026who doesn\u2019t want to be a David? As I mentioned in my last post, I have envisioned numerous times what it must have felt and looked like to walk down into that canyon and face off against that giant; how enthralling. Not once\u2026and I mean not one single time, did I imagine myself as being SAMUEL. I suppose I wanted to hear God speaking to me at night, but that is as close I have gotten. This is where my thoughts took me though: When I went into the army (many moons ago), I was being trained to be a Calvary Scout by\u2026you ready for this\u2026Calvary Scout drill sergeants. I did not get trained by cooks, clerks, or even infantry sergeants; just Calvary Scout drill sergeants. The point being, in order to become a great Samuel, you have to first learn to become a great David. We are all tested, challenged, and then thrown into the fight. Should we prove ourselves victorious in battle, we are then entrusted with the right to train others to do what we do. Becoming a Samuel does not mean I have to give up on being a David\u2026perhaps it just means that God is saying we have already become enough like David to be trusted with more responsibility. I was talking to my nephew, Nathan, about this, and told him, \u201cGod never seems impressed with David\u2019s sword\u2026it was his heart that pleased Him.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is one thing to train someone to hold a weapon; it is another to train them to not run away when the enemy is pressing on. Not to step on Mike\u2019s theme, but in Ephesians 6:10-16, there is a reference to making that \u201cstand\u201d against spiritual hosts. The reality is that this fight we are in has many casualties and many who will flee from the battle in front of them. It takes a great leader to give the troops to make their stand, regardless of the foe before them. So, I have fought my whole life to be a David; I will not say that I have come anywhere close to the man that he was, but God knows I have tried. But today, I want to now set my sights on being a Samuel\u2026I want to help show others their potential. My nephew was very kind after our conversation; he said, \u201cUncle Shawn, I think you are more like a Samuel than a David today.\u201d I\u2019ll take a compliment like that any day.<\/p>\n

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