On Sunday, August 24, 2018, by the grace of God a new responsibility was placed upon my shoulders under the leadership of Denton Bible Church. It was a day that I had often thought about, but was not sure would ever happen in my life. I became ordained as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For many (as it was for me) ordination is just a word that some people carry as part of their title. I really couldn’t have explained it to you. Really can’t even now very well. Although, I have done biblical word studies on the word, ordination; however, nothing could describe the feeling I felt on this particular day.
The best way for me to explain it was a sense of completeness or fullness. And what’s fascinating about the idea of “complete” or “full” is that these are actually connotations of the word, ordination. The biblical sense is literally, “to fill up”. We see this when Aaron was being ordained as the High Priest of Israel in Leviticus 8. The word for ordination could be just as easily be translated as, “to fill your hands.” What’s even more incredible is that when you tie this to the Latin root, ordinare, which means “to put in order” you see a correlation to what I experienced and the natural meaning of the word. Amazing.
Incidentally, my word study came after the ordination service, so what I experienced on that day was something unique to emotion and not derived from knowledge. Pretty amazing. And it’s what I would expect with God. He has a way of connecting the heart with the head.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
James 1:22
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
Are there times when you know something, but don’t feel something? You may know that you should love your spouse the way she receives love, but you don’t. You may know that you need to not gossip about your boss, but you do.
Why? We may know, but we don’t always feel.
One of the hardest aspects of the Christian’s walk is connecting what we know to how we feel. Most often how we feel is how we respond. It’s just part of being human, and that doesn’t always turn out for the best.
So, how do we feel and respond rightly to the things we know?
- Cultivate a connection between your head and your heart. How easy is it for you to become callous to a tragedy or injustice simply because you are removed from a situation? Very easy. However, once you see pictures of tragedies or you watch a film or a video regarding an injustice, don’t you feel something different? You knew all along that injustice or tragic things happen, but once you see it you feel it. This feeling usually leads to action.
- The Christian walk is no different. You have to cultivate the connection between your head and your heart. The easiest way to do this is by simply reading your Bible and praying everyday. The Bible will guide your heart, will convict your soul, and the Spirit of God will conform you to the image of Christ. While this may seem tedious, it is necessary. It doesn’t make you more lovable or more holy, but it does give space and margin for God to meet you right where you are.
- If you want to take it further, look for opportunities that Christ looked for…who is vulnerable, outcast, and needy around you? Be a conduit with your time, resources, and encouragement. I ask people when I’m running, “How can I pray for you?”. You’d be amazed at how this simple gesture touches people’s hearts.
- Check your priorities. How easy is it to let circumstance(s) get you by the tail instead of getting circumstance(s) by the tail? Your calendar and checkbook will indicate your priorities. Take a quick scan to see what you most value in practice, not just in profession. If we’re not careful, we’ll out punt our coverage and begin to profess much more than we practice. That’s what people call hypocrisy. No body wants to be a hypocrite.
- Get someone to speak to your blindspots. Do you have someone in your life who can speak into your blindspots? Everyone has blindspots. In fact, they’re really glaring, and you can’t even see them. Everyone else can. Better to have someone speak sooner into this than later. Get accountability. So much of your effectiveness in life directly relates to this discipline.
May you today connect head to heart, and may God be glorified. Amen.
— August 31, 2018