Luke 1:80 says,
John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. (NLT)
Do you think John is the only one who needed to spend time in the wilderness, growing and becoming strong in spirit before beginning his ministry?
You might recall that Jesus himself had to go through 40 days in the wilderness, facing temptation and fasting, as well as encouragement from the angels.
I would dare to say that we ALL must go through something similar, in order to be ready for God's calling on our life. Believe it or not, we all have a ministry. Whether it's a 5013C, official ministry with a name and website, or it's a quiet stirring within your soul that becomes your way of life, we all have a ministry.
If you question what yours may be, here's a hint:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
We have been given the ministry of reconciliation, imploring the world to be reconciled with Christ.
So how can you do that? What is your specific calling within that calling? How will you teach the world to be reconciled to God?
If you want to know the answer to these questions, you must first grow up strong in spirit, like John...and accept that there will be a time of wilderness. Because that my friends, is where the most growth can happen.
The wilderness is an uncultivated place. It's inhospitable...it's not exactly kind to you. This is the time when you learn reliance on God. This is a time of solitude in His Word, with little distraction from the fast paced world we're used to. This is a time to let the Lord cultivate your heart. A time to learn how to sit and be still in His presence. A time of worship.
This is also a time of trial. Every wilderness has moments of beauty and peace, but also moments of darkness and fear. This is where you learn to be thankful for the dark times because they draw you into a deeper reliance on Him. You learn that you are victorious through Christ, a conqueror, a warrior.
Do you feel that you are in the wilderness right now? Take heart, and remember that He is with you, and He is growing you, so don't fight it or try to make your own way out. Accept it and learn to lean on His understanding and grace.
Another version of the wilderness can be when you are frustrated that your ministry isn't going how you imagined it would. You feel like no one cares or wants to listen to what you are trying to tell them.
Maybe God is saying you need to take more time to grow up in the spirit. Maybe, like me, you are a dreamer, and sometimes you rush into new ideas and passions because you envision a grand outcome, only to experience a grand let down!
If we try to rush out of the wilderness and pave our own path, we will experience less than the glorious plan that God has in store. He will still find the good from the bad of course (Romans 8:28), but getting where He wants us may just take a little longer and contain more disappointment than it would've if we had just stayed on His path.
So wherever you are in your spiritual walk right now, whether in the wilderness, in the middle of your ministry, or trying to make your own path, remember that there is a time for everything, and God wants to take you through the wilderness so He can ready you for the ministry He has planned for you. Don't try to deny Him that. Instead, deny yourself, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24) wherever the path leads, knowing that His goal is to be glorified and reconciled with His children through your life and ministry.
