Blog

Working in ministry I find that more often than not we overcomplicate the things that God and the Bible have laid out for us as simple. Every day my CRU team is sent questions from all over the world. No matter how deep, twisted, or emotional each question is, it always starts with one simple answer: Jesus. When we are doing ministry in our own day to day lives it can be hard to get outside of ourselves to reach others because we have complicated what we think we need to be to share the gospel.

A few years ago, I felt a calling to declutter my character. After two years of working on it I can tell you it’s still a choice every day to live by that. What does decluttering our character mean? It means knowing the simple ways God describes you and calls you and choosing those as your priority. If someone were to describe you, they would use those characteristics. Colossians 3:12-14 has a few of the key characteristics I think can be helpful to start with. 

Patience: Patience is a lost art and something our society actually strives to move away from. Everything is faster, everything is more “efficient”. Romans 12:9-13 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Patience is wrapped here in two beautiful ways to make it happen.  Hope allows us to rest in his joy and prayer draws us to lean on him in the waiting. Instead of rushing through everything and trying to figure it out all on our own, we get to grow in our relationship with God, sitting in the hallway with him as we wait for the door to open. Being a patient person makes us slow to anger and clears space in our hearts and mind to notice and love those around us well. 

Humility: 1 Peter 5:5-7 This is not one that comes easy but until recently reading this passage I did not understand the depth of it. God favors the humble and he opposes the proud. What are the practices of a humble person? If we were to declutter our character and live as humble people how would that look? 

1. We would be people who pray, humbling ourselves before Him knowing there is nothing we can do without Him. 
2. Humble people celebrate others - creating space for the success of others. They don’t play the game of comparison. 
3. Humble people are teachable. They are willing to learn and ask questions, never afraid to admit they might not know something. 
4. Humble people are grateful. They find contentment with what God has given them. And practice a thankful heart.

Love: John 13:34-35 reads, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  Because you are so deeply loved by the creator of the world you get to love others deeply. This love touches others and changes lives because it stands out like a light in the dark spaces around us. 

When we have Jesus, we get to have character defined by Him. A reflection of his character. We are a people who are patient in circumstances and with those around us. We are a people who are humble, who pray and celebrate others living with thankful hearts, always teachable, and we live with love poured out from our father so we can live like Him. We can do ministry better when we declutter and allow room for Jesus and share the simple but powerful message of the gospel. 

Recently my CRU team received a message from someone named Ahmed. He initially found us while doing an internet search about the very basics of Christianity. We were able to start the conversation by directing him to a resource on our website titled, "What is Christianity?" After he read it, he then asked about the Trinity. The team was able to explain the core concept, that there is one God who exists as three distinct persons. He asked, “Why is a Christian country at peace and a Muslim country in war?” That is a heavy, complex question, and to be honest, one we don't pretend to have the full answer for. The team acknowledged that we live in a broken world where conflict exists everywhere, regardless of country or professed faith. We moved past the political analysis to talk about God's promise of hope and shared an article highlighting God’s plan and promise in Revelation 21:4, where God promises to wipe away every tear. It was a chance to share the ultimate truth: that Jesus died and was resurrected again to save us and usher in an eternal peace that the current world can't offer.

These basics of Christianity changed Ahmed’s life. Can they change yours?