Endurance
Somewhere in the middle of my seven mile run today God spoke to me. As a society we place much attention to those who are strong (physically). We hold weight lifters, football players, and ultimate fighters in high esteem. Those sports that place an emphasis on strength generally get the most attention. But the sports that are based on endurance i.e: running, swimming, and biking barely make the back cover. People would rather see a few moments of incredible strength than a lifetime of endurance. We have seen the what happens to the lives of those who cannot endure, whether it be a sports star or a religious leader. After all doesn't the Bible say that those who endure to the end shall be saved"

I really think God finds our prayers humorous sometimes. I have thought about one of my most common prayers, which is also probably one of yours too. You know it's the one where we ask God to protect us from everything that could even remotely harm us or make us uncomfortable. I have realized how counterproductive those prayers are. It's my belief that God doesn't want to protect us from everything and He would rather us not be comfortable. I know that may not sound like the God we sing about on Sunday. The bottom line is that nothing grows out of comfort or 24/7 protection. God allows things to take place throughout the course of our lives to cause growth and spawn intimacy with Him. People like Job, Paul, Peter, David, and Moses know this principle first hand.
Take a moment to go to 2 Samuel 22 or 1 Chronicles 11 and read about David's mighty men. These were brave, unstoppable warriors who laughed in the face of comfort.
Now, I wonder how life would change for us if we prayed stuff like:
"God, place me wherever you want today. Put me in the best position to glorify you. I want growth and all that comes with it. Thank you".

Ok, so I know it has been quite a while since I have posted a blog. I am in a season of intense learning from the Lord, and I hope it lasts. I have also just entered a time of fasting which I do every year at this time. I am going to use the next few weeks to fill you in and share with you what God is showing me.
I am learning, through God's help, how to pay attention. I am learning to pay attention to my wife, my family, my ministry, and myself. I am learning to pay attention, especially, to the little details. I read in Genesis this morning about how Jacob and Rebecca decieved Isaac by disguising Jacob to look, smell, and act like Esau. I couldn't help but wonder that if Isaac had paid more attention to his sons that this never would have happened. Yes, I know that Isaac was going blind at his old age and he probably had a hard time hearing, but that's when we are decieved the most. The enemy strikes us the hardest in the areas we are blind in. If I think that my marriage is ok and I don't have to work on it and I stop paying attention, the enemy will come and place a trap and decieve me. When we stop paying attention to the different parts of our lives it leaves us wide open for deception. I encourage you to make it difficult for the enemy to decieve you. Pay attention to your walk with Christ, your family, marriage, and job.

More

So, I walked into my office this morning completely exhausted after a long weekend. I sat down in my chair with my coffee (as is my custom) and was preparing for another day of the hectic life that is full-time youth ministry. When all of a sudden I felt an urgent desire to seek the face of God. Honestly, I thought it was a little odd considering I had been at church all weekend. I was at a men's conference Friday and Saturday, a youth revival Saturday night, and at church twice on Sunday. That should have covered my God quota for the weekend, right? Yes, I am being a little sarcastic. But that's how we think. We think that if we meet our "requirements" for church then we shouldn't have to go above and beyond that.

I felt a sincere need to seek His face this morning. I usually spend time in prayer and devotion every morning, but this was different. I felt God drawing me near to Him at a time in my life where the room seems to be spinning. God was saying, "Turn the lights out, put the phone up, get away from the computer, lay on your face, and listen to ME!" As I began to let the God of the universe talk to me, I realized a few things. One of which was that I don't do this much. By that I mean that I don't spend time seeking Him on my behalf much. I spend most of my prayers on the ministry and others. I realized that I wasn't very comfortable praying for myself. That's not good. In order for me to be effective in my ministry I have to have me and God time. A time where God works on ME, not the ministry.

I didn't come away from my prayer time satisfied. I came away hungry for more, feeling more of a need for Him.

Statistics show that the average youth pastor spends about 3 minutes a day in prayer. WOW! That is scary. How in the world can I minister effectively on 3 minutes a day. It would be like a professional athlete trying to compete on just a handful of peanuts. Ministry starts and ends with Godly leadership. If we aren't in the prayer closet daily, our ministry will show it and our people will know it.

Become Uncomfortable

Romans 15:20-22 (The Message)

^17-21Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trail blazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been,

Those who were never told of him—
they'll see him!
Those who've never heard of him—
they'll get the message!

^22-24And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing.

I recently sat down with a great missionary friend of mine and discussed ministry. We talked about the importance of being apostolic (big religious word, I know). In the church of 2009 I believe many of us have forgotten what Paul said when he spoke these words. It is vital that we reach the unreached, unchurched, unloved, and undone. For so many of us in ministry we get comfortable sitting in our offices week after week planning our weekly services for people who get to sit at an "all you can eat Christ buffet" on Sundays. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for building the church, discipleship, and spiritual growth. But I am totally against being comfortable in ministry, and that is something Paul was not. We forget sometimes that our jobs are to nurture and develop people to where they can go out and spread the gospel. All too often our time is spent on applying and reapplying band-aids to Christians who are hypochondriacs. If you read this and find yourself comfortable in ministry or life, it is time to step back and look in the mirror. Paul was never comfortable-how could he be! He was always reaching new people, doing new things, and going into unchartered territory. Let me encourage you to go into unchartered territory in your personal walk with Christ and in your ministry. Why build on someone else's foundation? Some may say, "Well, that was Paul's ministry/life not mine". But I believe God looks to all of us to be missionaries in our own worlds. I believe God looks to us to live uncomfortably and explore new areas. So my challenge to you today is to become uncomfortable. For some that may mean talking to your neighbor about Christ, and for some that may mean starting an outreach ministry in your church. For all of us it has to mean spreading the gospel in ways we have not before.

For His Glory,

Josh Tillman