God gave me the privilege to preach.
When I first received this privilege, I would I walk on a platform, I would walk on a stage, I would step into a pulpit, and I would treat the opportunity as a treasured gift from God. It did not matter if I was speaking in front of ten people or a thousand, I would be so excited that God had chosen me to speak for Him that I would always make sure that I was prepared. I would make sure that I was prepared in study, prepared in direction and prepared in prayer.
As God gave me more opportunities to preach, I started to believe that I was a good. I statred to believe that I was great. I became very lackadaisical in my study. I stopped asking God what He wanted me to say. Instead, I began asking God to bless what I wanted to say. My prayer life became very one sided as I wasn’t interested in hearing what God had to say.
I believed that I was so good that I could walk on any platform, walk on on any stage, walk into any pulpit and just speak out of my own talent and mesmerize any congregation. I started treating the unbelievable privilege that God had given me as a personal right, not as the privilege in which God had trusted me.
It doesn’t take a theologian to figure out what happened. The privilege to preach was pulled away. God didn’t do it all at once. He slowly, but surely, pulled away the opportunities to share His word. Opportunities that were once plentiful became as rare as a finding a plump grape in a box of raisins.
God took me away from all ministry and helped me get my priorities straight again. He reminded me of who He is and who i am (lower case on purpose).
He brought me back. As slowly and surely as He pulled away the privilege to preach, he slowly and surely eased me back into ministry. At first he took me to a downtown Augusta homeless shelter. There Jesus gave me the privilege to preach again. Rest assured I was completely prepared for what God wanted before I shared His word with men and women who desperately need Jesus.
God then opened ministry doors at Stevens Creek. Creek 201. Life Groups. God opened the doors and I walked through following Him.
Now, this Saturday, Valentines Day, God is granting me the privilege to preach again. He has invited me to share His word at the Stevens Creek Men’s Breakfast. I am honored and humbled by the grace that my God has extended me.
When I lost the privilege to preach, I became bitter and angry at God. Now as I look back, my bitterness and anger were seriously misplaced. God is good. Sometimes I don’t like the way He has me learn life lessons, but sometimes it is necessary for Him to take me down a path I don’t necessarily want to travel so that I will end up at the destination He has for me.
