We had another great privilege to hear from Samantha Tse, one of our Board of Directors and Deacon of Hope. Samantha has been part of the LifeSpring family for as long as I can remember and is truly a daughter and now a mother of the house. Thank you, Samantha, for your vulnerability. The presence of God was there, and I could sense a deep work that God was doing in you.
As Samantha was speaking, I felt the Lord also convict and challenge the church family: Who is Shaping You?
Life seems to get more and more full. Samantha shared that she enjoyed life as a good employee. She enjoyed life being a good mom while on maternity leave. But when maternity leave ended, she suddenly had to become BOTH a good employee and a good mom! What she could focus on doing 1 at a time came to a point where both were fighting for her effort and time. With a new season, new challenge, and new circumstance came a new challenge. This often leads us to a place of overwhelm.
When overwhelm comes to the doorstep of our lives, the most logical answer is to slowdown and cutback, to guard our time. We begin to have to make decisions: do I go to LifeGroup or go for dinner with co-workers? Do I do quiet time or wash the dishes? Do I watch last week’s sermon or watch Netflix? All of these decisions are made in a moment’s notice and we often take the path of least resistance.
Our Family Weekend speaker said something that resonated in my Spirit – Proximity Changes You. What we give our time to and what we surround ourselves with changes us whether we like it or not, for better or for worst. Everyone who was at the Family Weekend spent 3 days in a room full of people seeking the Lord in the presence of God. Many of us will never be the same again, because in that proximity, God began to change us.
But the opposite is also true. Spending time surrounded by people who chase after the things of the world, being surrounded by social media influencers, being surrounded by streaming platforms, being surrounded by fear, by worry, by bad news, by everything the world throws at you can change us too.
Who is Shaping You?
Surround yourself in the presence of God? Absolutely.
Surround yourself in the presence of Kingdom Family? Absolutely.
Fools tear each other down. The wise build each other up.
We need to be the light of the world – but that comes from a place of Overflow.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
– Matthew 10:16
God never told us to avoid the world – in fact, He sends us into the world! But He does warn us – we will be amongst wolves. As a LifeSpring Family, let us surround each other in love and prayer as we walk into the world for His Kingdom come and His will to be done. Our assignments are God-given, but it doesn’t mean we are supposed to do it alone!