Riding the Wave… and Being In Over Your Head

Many years ago, something an Irish priest said stayed with me: “Wherever you see God at work, move there, be part of it.”

Rick Warren says something similar. A few years ago at the Leadership Conference at the Royal Albert Hall, I remember him saying that often we ask God to bless what we are doing, when in fact, we should ask to be a part of what he is blessing.

Both of these perspectives turn our normal approaches on their head. How often are we doing the things we want to do … and asking God to bless them? I’m sure I have been guilty of this again and again in my life.

What I’ve found is that, when you start stepping into something God is doing (and perhaps away from your own preferences and ideas), all of a sudden you are riding a wave not of your own creating.

Riding a wave that you didn’t create is overwhelming, exhilarating, bewildering. You know that the fruits of this wave are not produced by you, but by Someone far greater than you, that there is an unmistakable force behind it – the Holy Spirit. You cannot control anything about the wave – the pace, the growth, the grace – you just have to meet it as best you can with what is needed on a human level.

This is what parishes are experiencing as they step into Divine Renovation. This is what we are experiencing within the ministry nationally. We are experiencing it within Youth 2000, another organisation I am involved with, and which is being abundantly blessed right now. And I’m certain that other groups and organisations are experiencing the same thing… Maybe it is not making the headlines, but undeniably, a great wave of the Holy Spirit seems to be building in the Church across our country at this time. Abundance that I cannot remember experiencing in my 10+ years of working in the Church.

Being In Over Your Head

Hold on tight if you give God free reign in your life. You will find yourself in over your head. Three years ago, I wrote about the existential cost of mission here, and I still believe all this is true. But I am discovering too a new reality. When the wind of the Holy Spirit suddenly drives into the sails of the boat you are on, there’s no more control, like when things were only moderately fruitful. Now, the pace speeds up quicker than you’d choose, and there can only be surrender. You can only stand in awe of what God is doing. The only real response is thankfulness, praise… and holding on tight.

“Yes and Amen.”

I wrote here about building slack into your calendar if you’re “parish-detoxing”. I’m discovering the need for this too when the Holy Spirit suddenly swoops your little boat out to sea. A word that has been with me since last week is, “Rest.” His yoke is easy. If I find myself taking responsibility onto my own shoulders… I just need to stop! This is His work.

Whatever season you’re in, whether you’re in over your head with good stuff or not so good… or if you’re just ankle-deep right now… let’s learn to live each new season well.

“Yes and Amen.”

Transformed in Christ