A fundamental kingdom of God principle is that God’s ways are little and small. This smallness has been a scandal since Jesus’ day. Next to Herod’s massive Temple, the intellectuals of Athens, and Artemis’ temple in Ephesus, Jesus didn’t look like much. I can understand why Judas quit.
I am learning this principle in a new and deeper way these past 12-24 months as the EHS movement has expanded remarkably around the world.
I write from Asia where Geri and I are conducting 3 different EHS conferences for very large audiences in Singapore and Malaysia with participants from 19 countries. Last month we were in South Korea partnering with Onnuri church, an amazing global ministry with 75,000 members. And just a couple of months before that we were in Brazil with an outstanding Willow Creek Brazil team who are conducting EHS seminars around their country. Add to this the release of The Emotionally Healthy Leader book, along with the growing number of churches doing The EHS Course in North America, and it can almost seem like God’s ways are becoming big and fast.
They are not. They never are – at least this side of heaven.
The kingdom of God is always like a mustard seed. He works when we are sleeping (Mk.4:26). His power is made perfect in weakness. God never works in a rush.
Yet I found myself struggling with anxiety a couple of days ago, overwhelmed by the innumerable things that needed to be done to support churches engaging EHS here. Geri noted it and reminded me of a sermon I recently preached called “Relax”, built on the exegesis of John’s gospel that the way we know we are trusting Jesus is by our ability to relax. (Click here to access that sermon).
I got some much needed time alone and God deepened this simple truth in me –that His ways are always little and small. His words to me were:
- Relax
- Take the long view
- Enjoy the journey
It will take 10 years to lay a foundation and build the leaders and infrastructure for churches to be transformed by EHS. (We are ending year 1!)
So, by God’s grace, I am relaxing – at least today.
