Leading and Learning

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Speak Out: People need to hear you

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MicsAnother Guest Post from my Daughter – Enjoy

It’s inevitable – whether you are the mentor or mentee, you are going to grow in ways you never knew would happen, especially in such a short amount of time. I’ve only been meeting with my girls for about 6 months now, and looking back on when we started, I’ve noticed growth in them, in me, and in us as a quad.

The biggest way I’ve been stretched, and still being challenged, is not keeping my faith to myself. I’m the type of person that has my own world in my mind and will gladly live in it myself. But in order for the girls to grow, I have to share with them everything that has been shared with me. Verbalizing ideas does not come naturally for me. I need time to process ideas and questions before coming up with the best answer, but when sharing your faith with anyone, you can’t sit there for five minutes and keep them waiting. (This blog is great for that, since I actually have time to think about what I want to say!) But through learning and practice, slowly but surely, I see my ideas flow out more quickly. I can only thank the Holy Spirit who is at work in me!

The girls are also fantastic motivation to keep learning new things, and to dig deep into the Word to understand how God wants us to live. It’s fascinating how every week, when I learn something new, it comes up in our conversation and I get the opportunity to verbalize those thoughts. Coincidence? I don’t think so! There are also those weeks where they challenge me in an area that I don’t know much about. One week we got talking about the views on homosexuality. I internally know my views and a general idea of what the Bible says, but it forced to me to go home and research the exact verses in the Bible. And then that conversation “coincidentally” came up in another conversation that same week.

As much as mentoring these girls is only a weekly thing, it is so much more of a daily thing. It all connects. Every Thursday morning, I get together with some girlfriends to do some cardio kickboxing (fantastic workout by the way!) and then do devotions together. Recently we read 2 Thessalonians, and 2:16-17 stuck out for me.

“ May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His GRACE gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Only by His GRACE does He encourage and strengthen us, which then allows us to encourage and strengthen others.

I’ll end like Paul always ends his letters, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

You can’t do theology without a face

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Lego Face EmptyI love scripture. As I read it, reflect on it, journal about it, memorize it, listen to messages regarding it, converse with others about it and whatever other way you can think about, I find that it speaks to me. At times the insight is in small increments, and at other times it seems to rise off the page and move me to make incredible life decisions – to either stop doing something or to start doing something.

I try to use scripture to inform as many aspects of my life as possible, to guide and direct how I think about issues and to help me to respond.

All that being said, I have become more and more aware of the importance of not coming to solid convictions on a topic or issue until I have seen the face of the topic. More importantly, I have learned that my response to various issues must not only have sound thinking, they must also have a sound heart response that connects to reality. As a good friend so aptly states, “You can’t do theology without a face.”

Let me explain. I have listened to and read about many “theologically informed” insights on topics such as marriage and divorce, homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia, pre-marital sex, etc. Many of the insights that I have absorbed have appeared to be well researched and are quite articulate. At times however they have had a sense of judgmentalism and an air of simplicity and superiority – “this is what the bible says so let’s just move forward and tell people what to think and do.” Now hear me on this – I don’t necessarily disagree with the conclusions that they come to biblically speaking, yet the way that they appear to want us to approach these issues lacks grace and real life understanding – it lacks a face.

It’s easy to have biblical opinions about homosexuality – it is quite different when a close friend comes out and shares with you that she is “wired” this way. It is easy to have a theological stance on abortion – it is quite different when someone you know shares about their own abortion and the pain surrounding it.

I have found myself entering into these topical conversations with a much more grace-based mindset than I have ever done before. I share my perspective from scripture and then allow them to respond. I ask them to reveal their own journey. At times I have had to let them know, after hearing them out, that I will need to disagree with what they are thinking and/or doing but that I will still love them and care for them. These can be tough conversations, and yet approached from a foundation of grace allows me to stay involved in their lives. I prefer that.

This is not easy stuff. Having an “academic” faith of ideas is easy. You might have lively discussions with others about how you interpret scripture versus their stance, but that’s all it is – a lively discussion that takes place in the air, never having to land. Having a lively conversation while looking into the eyes of someone you love and care for and are friends with is quite another issue.

Have your deep convictions of faith, but make sure you make these with a face on – you’ll be glad that you did.

For the kingdom.