Several months ago, I can’t really recall exactly when, I was talking with Troy about one of the young women that I mentor. That morning I really felt that God had much in store for her and more than anything I wanted her to succeed. Troy calmly looked at me and said, “Then teach her everything you don’t know. Think about what I’m saying, Andrea.” Then he walked away.
I’m am really thinking about this comment again today. God has been talking to me for months about the phrase “trickle down.” He’s been showing me that if I want those under us to be passionately chasing Jesus then I must be passionately chasing Him. If I want people to understand the deep things of His Spirit, then I must yearn to understand the deeper things of His Spirit. If I want people to become givers then I must be a giver. Do you see what I am saying? So many times, we as leaders focus on what we are saying, instead of who we are becoming. We are becoming like the One in us, Jesus Christ.
And it’s not like a checklist where I can do all the right things so that those around me will be impacted. But I can allow myself to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. So if I want others to change then I’ve got to start with myself because I simply can’t give what I don’t have. There are many examples here. One that immediately comes to mind is like how can we impart a deeper revelation of His glory to others if we ourselves have not beheld His glory? Or how can we demonstrate walking in Kingdom power if we’re not walking there? How could we talk about warfare if we aren’t able to cast out a demon? It’s impossible to give away what you don’t have.
Here’s what I’ve discovered…..the more I’ve learned, the more I realize I don’t know anything. I’ve learned it’s all Him….Jesus Christ. I’ve learned to lay hands on the sick and not say anything but just wait to feel God’s heart towards that person because each relationship is so unique. I’ve learned that the best way to cast out demons is to spend a lot of time getting to know Jesus, so that when the demonic see me, they see Him and flee. I’ve learned that I don’t have anything that it takes to even be in ministry but He does.
I was thinking how Jesus walked up to His disciples and just said, “Follow me.” No explanations, promises or details which meant they had to trust in everything they didn’t know or couldn’t understand. All they could see was Jesus and so many people could not follow Him.
Troy and I are in this place again, where God again is taking the ministry into some unknown territory. God hasn’t given us specific details but we’ve learned to say, “yes,” anyways. So I’m learning to teach, through our lives—everything I don’t know.