Talking to Walls

I have to apologize. I have not posted in far too long. Living in Africa is not an excuse! Please forgive me.

I spend the majority of my time here at the Crisis Pregnancy Center -- a program to help young (between the ages of 15-18 mainly) women that are pregnant or have just produced. We teach them how to care for themselves and the baby. We also want to show them Jesus.

Yesterday I was teaching my favorite group of women (each group comes once a week) and they just didn't seem to be getting what I was talking about. We shifted gears after the confusion was evident and spoke of the 10 Commandments, heavy Law, and sweet Gospel. I spoke and asked questions for a long time. They answered my questions and sat quietly listening, but at the end of two hours of pouring into these women, there was just more silence. I felt like I had been talking to a wall.

Something I have been learning lately is that God is the One who does the work. It's so easy to think that I need to say the right things, do the right things, etc so that others will come to Christ. But it's God that does that. All I do is point to Him.

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)

He knows not how. I plant the seed (by the grace of God even) with the Word and the Holy Spirit in me. God makes it grow.

Friends, I hope that is an encouragement to you today. Wherever you are in life, in ministry, know that it is God's work. It's not up to you to save the world. Jesus already did that! Just point to Him.