Written by Ken Cross, Church Mentor at CEDE Partners – an Initiative of CEDE Sports
Our Present Reality
We have all heard about making lemonade out of lemons. This phrase tells us to take an adverse situation and turn it around for your benefit and especially for the benefit of others.
The Covid 19 pandemic has certainly been tough on sports ministers. Some that I personally work with, have had to take different roads in the ministry of the church such as: media work, “Cares Act” guru helping the church get two or more months of salaries, or facing the reality of being reduced to only part time. Your situation might be similar to these. There are many unanswered questions ahead as we wonder how school is going to happen, and if we can restart our ministries without compromising safety.
Lessons from the Past
When the Black Death of the Bubonic plague of London was devastating Europe in 1665, Cambridge University shut its doors and professor Isaac Newton was forced to stay at home. During his sequester, he invented calculus, parts of optic theory, and allegedly while sitting in his garden, he witnessed an apple fall from a tree, which inspired all of our understanding of gravity and the laws of motion. Now that is sweet lemonade!Jesus had gathered very large crowds of hungry people in Matthew 14 and 15. With no restaurants in sight, He used these moments to teach His disciples that He was enough in every situation. Is Jesus enough for your situation? What is God wanting to do? And what is He desiring for you during this time?
Considering the Future
Is now the time to re-evaluate your calling to ministry? Are you called or are you just doing a job? From my experience those who are intrinsically called and motivated by God will persevere through the hard times. The “hirelings,” those that have entered by the wrong gate for the wrong reasons, will find what else it is that God has for them!Is now a time to re-evaluate your present ministry? To make plans for the future? Since you have been able to reflect during this time and perhaps see those proverbial apples fall from the trees! At CEDE Sports we have tools and mentors to help you do just that. One of the tools is called The Wheel (see the image below).
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” So assuming you are a believer, God has prepared plans just for you! What a great promise! That is lemonade that is always sweet! I believe since God put Adam to work before the Fall that He was showing us that there is nothing sinful about work. Even now God is preparing to do His kingdom work in the new Heavens and the new Earth. Preparation is underway. Take a positive perspective on this pandemic, seek God, and pursue His prepared good work for you!