Women's Ministry Minute
June 15, 2020
With Claudia Salazar
Personally, I am really bad at handling conflict and difficult situations. I try to avoid conflict most of the time. However, lately, I’ve been presented with a situation where I had to have hard conversations that are uncomfortable and not fun. As I had these conversations, I realized that I lack the ability to point everything I say back to the word of God. I try using my own words and my understanding of God, but my words don’t do justice to the word of God. As a result, a lot of these conversations didn’t point anywhere, and, honestly, I have felt insecure about myself and my ability to handle the word of truth. Part of me thinks that I am not eloquent and that I don’t have the right words or that I will not let my point come across. Also, I’ve been having a lot of fears of pushing people away with my words and not using the word of God correctly.
As all of this happens, God has been there to teach me a lesson. It all started by making research of the Book of Jeremiah for one campus ministry events where we share one of our fav characters. And as I was doing this, I came across to a scripture that I forgot about.
6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7But the Lordsaid to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:6-8
And then this remind me also of Moses.
10Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-11
This really showed me that a lot of the big characters in the Bible that I admire, really weren’t good at speaking or always knowing what to say, but God straight up told them that He was going to be with them. And that he was going to provide as He always does.
As if that wasn’t enough, within that same week, in the Devotional lesson that Derek Shneider gave, he made a point that really shook me. He said that we have to constantly be building up the culture in the ministry and one another. We have to learn how to have uncomfortable conversations. These things all made me reflect in my personal fear of pushing people away or turning them away from God. And then he said this"Silence is the opposite of care, it is not building at all.” This made me realize that speaking up is an opportunity for growth and for building others up. And that sometimes remaining silent to maintain peace is not alway a good thing.
This remind of the scripture:
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13
As all these events happened, I felt so blessed that God has put amazing people in my life that have been there to teach me, and to give me perspectives on how to have these difficult conversations. Also, how to be able to refer back to scripture and not just speak without being grounded in the word, and more importantly how to speak the truth in Love.