What Do You Love To Do?

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is working within you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13)

That scripture sometimes scares people. The part that says “fear and trembling” seems to imply that we should be afraid of God! But I see it differently: I believe it is saying ‘Do not take lightly your every-day walk with Jesus, but rather take it seriously – take it as if it is something that has gravity and impact’. Why? Because it is God Himself who is within you, directing your will and your actions.

Let me further explain why I think this concept is very good news. What this verse means is that once we have decided to follow Jesus and keep his Word, He gives us permission to look inside ourselves, and ask ourselves, “What makes me happy?” What makes me want to get up in the morning?What do I love to do?” This scripture is telling us that, if it is really God who is determining the answers to these questions, then all of a sudden there is nothing extravagant or selfish about passionately desiring these ‘answers’ for our lives. Instead, these answers become God’s pointers. God‘s direction.

We are living in a time when God is more-than-ever-before answering the prayers of those who’ve been asking the “Lord of the Harvest” to send forth laborers into his harvest. It’s a time of when the Spirit is sending out planters who are creative initiators, coming up with new expressions, though which God seeks to expand His Kingdom. Cowboy Church is just such an expression.

I love horses. I love to be near people who ride horses. In fact, I met my wonderful wife in the days when I would regularly see her on the back of a horse, sweaty and dirty from riding and jumping (which she still loves to do). Even though I’m not much of a ‘horse person’ myself, having only availed myself of occasional trail rides and riding lessons, it doesn’t mean that my equestrian predilections have been for nothing, in God’s sight. My Cowboy Church ministry has been the result!

By the grace of God, since we’ve been holding church services in a barn (every couple of months when it’s not snowing) many new faces who would not have otherwise ventured into a traditional church building, have come to our barn services. They have clearly heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and have been directed to a solid local church.

We direct them there, because a “parachurch” expression such as Cowboy Church cannot supply them with everything they will need to become a mature disciple of Jesus. But just as the apostle Paul told the Early Church “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” (See 1 Cor. 3:6-9)

What do you love to do? God is wanting to turn it into fertile soil. He wants to plant, something new, for the sake of this harvest. I encourage you to think about this, pray about this, and then go for it!