A proper view of success is important with each part of Catalytic. We need to work hard to think rightly about ourselves and our work or we won’t last. Untrue thoughts in this category will lead to burnout, and that is the last thing key volunteers need from us.
Success in exploring is simply this: Looking. It’s the act of being dependent on God and faithful toward what he has called you to. What has he called you to? In short, he has called you to trust him.
It’s like when God told Abraham to leave Ur. Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was calling him. He didn’t know what his new life would look like. He only knew that God told him to go. If he went, he was successful regardless of what he found in front of him. The only way he could have failed was by not going. His success wasn’t built on him building a large new city wherever he went or anything like that. Everything in front of him was being prepared by God, no matter what it was. He just needed to go.
It’s the same with exploring: You just need to put one foot in front of the other and begin the journey of looking for the person God has prepared to lead.
As easy as that sounds, let me tell you that it’s hard to believe that a lot of the time. It’s hard on days when you filter through hundreds of people asking question after question to try and find someone—anyone that might want to be used by God and find no-one. The feeling of not finding anyone at the end of the days you don’t is hard. And this moment is exactly why it’s important to prepare yourself with a proper view of success.
You have to condition your mind to think rightly. Here’s the truth that you need to pound deep in your brain:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12
Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was calling him. He didn’t know what his new life would look like. He only knew that God told him to go.
If God is in control and all of this world is his creation and every single person that is called to labor for the gospel is chosen by God then only he can call anyone to himself for any given purpose. If only he can call people, that means we can’t. If you ever find anyone interested in becoming a key volunteer for their campus, it is only by the sheer grace of God and it has nothing to do with your efforts in looking or not.
At the end of the day be honest with yourself and your team. Are you discouraged about your day because you didn’t find anyone? Tell your team and let them minister truth to you like passage above. Let them tell you that it was not your responsibility to find, only look. Think about it like this, if a person spent all of their life looking for willing Christians or sharing the gospel with unbelievers hoping they might be used by God one day and never found anyone, their life would have been well spent and will be equally rewarded by God in heaven for their faithfulness.
It is fun when you find that person of peace though :). It’s even more fun when you realize that the only way that person’s heart was prepared for this role as a volunteer and that you found them was by one of God’s miracles, it’s even more fun.
In this one area work really hard to get this success criteria exactly right—you will enjoy your walk with the Lord abundantly more and you will last longer in ministry.
and meet other Catalysts