When things don’t seem to be going right

Nothing seemed to be going right.

I had gotten behind on putting together the worship service and now the accompanist didn’t feel prepared, and it was my fault. I had forgotten to make the worship presentation. It was no big deal; we still had the bulletins, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Some of my kids were sick, and my wife said she was feeling like she was next. My sermon preparation didn’t get to where I wanted it to, so I wasn’t as comfortable with the message as I wanted. The Bible class felt poorly prepared. I was tired. And to top it all off, some regular guests didn’t show up. I was counting on them, and I was praying they would eventually become members—but for the second week in a row, they weren’t coming.

And then it happened–church started. Bible study worked out well. My family was great. The music was excellent. No one noticed the “missing” worship presentation. And I got to share the truth that Jesus is the Light of the World with God’s people. I had been so worried, and God was still working things out for the good of his kingdom. His light still shone . . . in spite of me.

Jesus is the Light. Not me. That means I’m not tasked with executing perfectly crafted ministry plans or putting together flawless worship experiences. My work is to go out with the message Jesus gave me and to trust him to bless it as he sees fit.

During Jesus’ ministry he chose fishermen to follow him. He used Peter, Andrew, James, and John to share his light and to fish for people. Through the centuries, his followers have gone out into the world, and he’s used them and the message they carry to make disciples.

And now he’s using me.

Serving in a mission field like St. George, Utah, is a new experience for me. The community is heavily influenced by the predominant religion here, the Latter Day Saints (LDS) church, or the Mormon church. My family moved here from the Midwest, and it can feel isolating to be so far away from family and friends. The work can be difficult, and sometimes I don’t see as much visible “success” as I want. And still, I get to share the news about Jesus. He’s taken away sin. He is enough. And since my message is the message of Jesus, the pressure is off. Even when nothing seems to be going right with me, Jesus is still at work.

“We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). God has shown his grace to me and my family and the family of believers here in St. George. We are saved by that undeserved love. That’s the message. We are saved by grace. We aren’t saved by works, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. And sometimes God gently reminds me that he gives me the work, but the outcome is his. Even when I don’t think things are going right, Jesus can still use me to do his work.

Written by John Raasch, home missionary at Redemption Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah