Without the Holy Spirit, I wouldn’t be in working in the church.
Without the Holy Spirit, I wouldn’t stay in ministry with the church.
Without the Holy Spirit, I’d be doing ministry for all the wrong reasons.
I boast in my weakness.
I am tempted to chase after temporal things. Because I was born with DNA that gave me above average height, clear skin, an athletic frame, and long limbs (not that I’m complaining)–it became easy for me to believe, even at a very young age, that I had to be one of two things. A model or a basketball player. After scoring a lot of points on my basketball team (for the other team), I sunk my heart into a Victoria’s Secret catalog and dreamt that I’d be on those pages someday. For all the wrong reasons, I truly wanted that.
If it wasn’t for the Spirit’s gentle and convincing work in my life, chances are I wouldn’t have ditched this empty dream for a full one that has led me here, to the most fulfilling life I could live–modeling to a different crowd–and for different reasons.
The Holy Spirit helped me see how my life could be transformed through a conduit of trust. The Spirit knew what I needed when I needed it–and gave those things to me. The Holy Spirit led me into youth ministry.
So, this part of God–the part that walks beside me and lives in me–is the same part that fuels the vision, mission, values, and practices of a ministry for and with teenagers.
The Holy Spirit is my counselor.
Jesus said he would give us “another counselor” (John 14:6) and he has done that for me. As I serve the church my Counselor helps me with everything from the smallest decision to the really big ones. My Counselor helps me to live my life in His life. I need a clean heart to be able to see where there is jealousy, anger, and unloving attitudes. There is a rigorous replacement happening, my will for his. And when I’m stubborn and stall, I’m comforted to know that I’m still not alone or abandoned in the process.
We need the presence of the Holy Spirit to help us ditch plans sometimes and go with God, in our plans, in our relationships, in how we carry out youth ministry in our communities.
The Holy Spirit is the power. (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:29)
When the Spirit is given space to purify my heart, to perfect love in me, I have power in ministry. I’m able to lead and speak with confidence, even in my weakness! Because His power is made perfect in those moments.
There is always the temptation to be all about me, to worry only for my own comfort, goals, and ideas. But the Holy Spirit guides me surrender selfishness for a genuine awareness of others. I can’t do it on my own. I don’t have enough light in me to be what I need to be, but the Holy Spirit is able to do this.
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in me. (1 John 3:24)
It’s what happens at the altar at camp. It’s what happens in our conversation at Chic-fil-a. The presence of God fills our smiles, our high-fives, and our hugs for those with tears. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in my sermon writing–the check in my gut that says “now is the time to talk about this..” or “maybe you should go in another direction”.
We try to look for the Holy Spirit at work in our students as well. We can overlook that God dwells in them–just as he dwells in us.
We make it known to our students and leaders that the Holy Spirit is given a free pass to roam the halls and rooms of our ministries, and our hearts, we want to be following close enough to receive inspiration and direction.
Life and ministry is never empty. God is here with me and God is with all of us. My prayer is that the Kingdom of God would be larger for our willingness to be filled with Christ, that youth ministries would receive power as their leaders receive it, and that we would be living in grateful and prayerful response for the gift of the Spirit.
How is the Holy Spirit changing the shape of your youth ministry?
Original Slant Blog Post: By Brooklyn Lindsey
Used with permission. www.barefootministries.com
Image Rights: Vladstudio
