31 Aug Leading With Joy

PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ON JUNE 1, 2017

Honor in The House has been such an awesome series of messages these past few weeks!  One thing that really resonates with me was when Pastor Tim spoke about how he really enjoys being our pastor.  Leading is a tough job, no doubt.  Leading with joy can be quite challenging.

As Small Group leaders, we also should have this joy for leading others.  In fact, all Christians should ‘do all things without grumbling’ as Paul states in Philippians 2:15.   But, as Small Group leaders, we should not only not grumble but have a real passion for what we do and a real love for the people He has entrusted with us.

Let’s face it, people are messy. Being attentive to our group members’ problems amidst dealing with our own personal struggles is draining.  We are asked to open our homes after a long day of work or being with the kids, create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere, provoke people who may not want to talk into a conversation, steer the conversation away from bunny trails while guiding others toward the truth of God’s Word who may not quite ‘get it’. (Phew!)  At the same time, we are to manage our groups on a website we are not familiar with and read numerous correspondence from the SG director.  To top it all off, get our picture taken (ugh!).

Ok, so we were talking about joy 🙂   How can any of this be joyful?  Well, we have to understand that it is not about us.  There are two very important things we need to remember: We are here for those not yet here and It is never ‘just the church’.  Doesn’t that take the weight right off your shoulders?  When we get uncomfortable to make others comfortable we are essentially putting God first to draw others closer to Him.  This is God’s group, let’s keep Him on center stage.  We are the Church, we don’t go to church.  We have a responsibility and a work to do. We were called to a purpose (Romans 8:28).

As we know, though, joy doesn’t just happen. It’s not something we can create on demand, nor is it something we can fake.  Rather, real joy starts with seeing clearly the opportunity with which God has blessed us. We have been commissioned (Matthew 28:19) to help Him make people’s lives better through leading our group. Our work with our group is, in fact, a sacred ministry. This sort of perspective leads to gratitude for the opportunity, and out of gratitude flows joy, both in our preparation, administration and in our leadership of the discussion.

When we see transformation through making disciples, we will not be able to contain ourselves!  There are no words for the joy that we see when group members take steps closer to their Creator!

It is a privilege to have this opportunity to serve God’s people in this way.  It is not everyone’s calling, but it is our calling.  Let’s continue to serve and lead with a JOY!