Is this fun or what?

There is a verse in Hebrews I am sure all leaders of churches love and hate but I know I have never preached it. I just read it the other day in church but blew past it pretty quickly, kind of mumbled as I read it and got to the point I was trying to make...Verse 17 of chapter 13 says, " Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give account . Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." I think for years, really I avoided the "authority' part of the verse but knew really the part about "give account." I guess I kind of hoped that at the end of the line and as I see whoever it is who lets me in at the pearly gates, if they did not say, "well done good and faithful servant" I would at least hear, "hey, nice try."

I have wrestled most of my life, I think, with low self esteem and it has carried into my role as a leader also. I think at times I would dress it up and say it was humility but as it crumbled it was a false humility at best. I loved being further down the authority list really...I enjoyed being a support person...a Joshua to Moses type...but then one day Moses was gone and now Joshua was the leader. I kind of wonder how he felt as he changed roles...I kind of suspect he was a little overwhelmed in the beginning. I looked at the first chapter of Joshua where the exchange happens and in verse, 6 God says, " Be strong and courageous...."in verse 7 God says, " Be strong and courageous.... and again in verse 9 God says, "Be strong and courageous.(then He adds) Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Now 3 times in one paragraph God tells him to be strong and have courage...now I am thinking if he was not afraid before he might be now! Then I had to laugh at the end of the first chapter the people say to Joshua, "Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so will we obey you." Is that a promise or a threat???

Anyway the only way Barb and I have been able to lead is because of that last part in verse 9, " for the Lord your God will be with you." We believe the Church is the people of God's Presence and without His presence you have no Church. We believe in "Immanuel" which means "God with us." What else is there? The cool thing about Joshua if you read about him a little is he was Moses right hand guy and when Moses went into the tent of meetings to meet with God, so did Joshua and then when Moses would leave...Joshua would stay longer...in the Presence...do you think it made a difference? I do. The one area I think that has helped me the most over the years is I love to worship and be in God's presence...You cannot spend much time in His presence without being changed...or running away.

So I am no longer afraid..(most of the time)..and I have embraced my calling (finally) and as I head into my 60th year of existence I am looking forward to my best years, full of God and His blessings and His presence. I know one day I will give an account for this deal God has called me into...and I am pretty sure He is not going to ask me how big the church was and how many Sunday services we did. If He does ask anything I think it will be more like, "Did you teach my church to love me, receive my love and to give it away like I asked?" I can with some confidence say, "I sure tried." That verse in Hebrews says something about our work being a joy...Barb and I tell people all over the world, "We are having lots of fun doing what we are doing." Sooo, it has been a joy and I am looking forward to many more joyful years ahead.....

Bill