Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ministry Through Tears . . .

"Then they all wept freely, and fell on 
Paul's neck and kissed him," 
Acts 20:37


Psalm 126:6 declares, "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Throughout the Scriptures we read of many saints shedding tears during their times of ministry. I've heard it said time and time again that a Christian ought to be joyful and happy because of the hope within them, because their destination is secure, God is on the throne and we are going to heaven. However, the longer i walk with the Lord, the more I find tears to fall from my eyes. The more my sin causes me to weep and my heart gets involved and broken in what I am putting my hands toward. This verse in Psalms has become a reality to me. The field of ministry has asked of me to sow in tears many a time, and there are seasons when it seems that weeping is continual. At times I think that emotions are streaming from a over-dramatic look at things or a mind that is thinking too deeply but by looking at a verse like this in Acts I am learning that tears are apart of ministry. Tears come from deep within, showing forth a deep connection to what your eyes perceive. If love is in action, characteristics of love show forth in smiles, in healings, in hurt, in memories, and in tears. Caring for someone or something commonly requires tears to fall. I think of Jesus, when one he loved left earth, Lazarus, we are told that He wept (John 11:35). A common reaction to death, right? But what strikes me is that through this, He had a plan. He knew the outcome, and it was one that would bring smiles not tears. He knew that He would raise this man from the dead. Why then the tears? I believe that the tears were shed for something deeper, for what His eyes were perceiving in the situation of Lazarus' death. Even knowing the eternal plan for Lazarus, Jesus wept and I believe that even as Christians knowing the eternal plan of God and that whatever sadness we may face, it too will pass, but there are still room for those verse 35 moments. Tear falling moments. Moments that reveal a heart in a matter. Jesus wept for the situation at hand, the other heart's that were involved, the loss, the reality of the result of sin expressed through the death of a beloved. 
In ministry there will be times of tears. Times when it seems that no rain of blessing is falling and the only way the land is not dried up and cracked is because of a constant moisture of tears falling from your eyes; yet this feels that you are about to crack. Tears remind me of my heart's involvement. Tears remind me of my Savior's involvement. Jesus came, He wept, and than He worked. 
Tears can be a blessing so long as they fall with hope. Jesus wept, but not without hope, but with expectation that God the Father would use such a state to glorify Himself and display His power through it.
Lazarus was raised from the dead and many believed on the name of the Lord, and in the same way, God will bring beauty from the tears of our ministry and use these things to bring deeper glory to His name, so long as we offer before Him our tears along with our praise. Although tear-filled, still expecting eyes--eyes looking beyond the present moment to the eternal weight of glory in the matter.
In a hard moment of emotions and goodbye's toward Paul, tears fell, however I believe that God was glorified in this sacrifice of love, because those who love deeply can be used to touch the hearts of others deeply.
Application for Myself:
Upon returning from the field, it has been an emotional time. In first moments, my heart felt numb, so I prayed that the Lord would soften my heart and break it if that was necessary to keep me moldable and to take me deeper in Him. He heard my prayer and along with the answer came tears. It seems that almost daily, one thing or another causes moisture to fill my eyes, but how beautiful the thought that with each tear that falls, His arms are outstretched to catch each tear and place within His keeping. His word declares that He catches our tears within a bottle (Psalm 56:8). I am not to despise the days of tears knowing that they are taking me deeper, and if surrendered, can be used to give the eyes of my heart a better glimpse into the heart of God. The next time a tear falls, I will pray that these tears would be used to keep my heart soft, and moldable, and expecting...expecting bigger, deeper, and greater things to come in the coming days in my walk with the Lord.

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