Why work hard when you can have fun?

It was a week ago Wednesday, my last night doing chair set-up after the youth meeting. I'm not sure how many chairs we set up, something like 667 (Can't you imagine setting up 666 chairs and freaking out someone). We were only about two rows in when BN says to me "I can see why you would want to do a ministry that is fun, not a ministry that is such hard work". His words stunned me. I plunked down in a chair as BN sat next to me. You have to know this about BN; he is one of those people that when he talks, EF Hutton listens (aging myself I know, google it for you youngins). BN has a great sense of humor, a quick smile and loves kids. But when his eyes start to narrow, stop what your doing and give him your undivided attention; he is about to speak truth. I don't believe he even knows how profound his words often are, humbleness describes him well. So while we sat for a moment, he expounded on fun ministry verses hard work. I don't think he knows the whole story why I moved on from chairs (but BN, lets have coffee someday and talk about it), but it wasn't because of the hard work involved with chairs (and bless those that do chairs, it takes effort). But God knew exactly what He is teaching me and was using BN to get me to ask myself: 'am I willing to do the hard work God is calling me to do?'
Now this hard work takes on several forms:

1. Continuing to allow Christ access to the deep fears and struggles in my life and letting Him have lordship over those areas. That is very hard work, for me, not for Him. More on this in another blog.
2. Beating The Attitude (BTA); yep, when God is teaching you something that He thinks you really need to get a handle on, He ties it all together, through His word, worship, and His people. But really, is BTA really hard work? Reread the post from May 5th. Put yourself right in the midst of the chaos and pain, the anger, the sorrow, the cries for help. And Jesus looks at you and says:

• Go and be merciful to those that have ruined lives from choices they have made, that have no hope of recovery
• Go and comfort those that are mourning, that have sadness so deep they can't see the need to live another day
• Go and reconcile the families that are torn by strife, be a peacemaker
• Go and tend to the oozing soars and bulging tumors, but healing not only the physical wounds, but touching their broken spirits of humiliation and isolation. Show them you care. Look into their eyes, not past their tears

And fired up, you look away from Jesus and towards the crowds. Where to begin, the need is so great. Everywhere you look, need after need, broken life after broken life. Suddenly you are overwhelmed by the tasks at hand, and you turn back to Jesus and say "I can't. It's too hard. I don't know what to do or say. I'm not trained enough. Don't you have something easier". You half expect the Jesus that overturned the tables of the money-changers in temple to blast you, just as bosses, co-workers, and maybe parents have in the past. You can hear it coming: 'idiot, quitter, slacker, you'll never amount to anything'. But Jesus simply looks at you with compassion and says:

• Don't worry about what to say, for I will be speaking through you
• Don't worry about it being to hard, for it is my power that is at work through you
• Don't worry about training, it will be my hands extended through you
• Don't worry....just feed my sheep.

See Christ is culling out of me the chaff that clutters. He is asking me to love in a new way, to cast off the ties that bind and let His Spirit flow through me with renewed vigor. He is telling me this will be hard work. Fun? Don't know about that yet, could be. But this I know, that the joy He has planned is unspeakable and full of glory. Seeing lives changed when they encounter the weird Jesus is worth it all.

And the next Wednesday night, there was BN, loving kids through all they encounter....and setting up more chairs.