Self Evaluation

April, 2004

by: Beth Mack

I know that for most of us life is busy. Some days it seems like I run from one thing to another with barely a moment to breathe in between. I'm involved in various activities and ministries, and in addition, I work. I often have to make choices as to what I am going to be involved in and what I am going to say no to. And frankly any one who knows me knows that I often don't say no to all the things I should and take on too much.

Sometimes I stop and go through the various things I am involved in and evaluate. Am I involved in the things that matter and make an eternal impact for Christ's kingdom or am I involved in things for the sake of being involved? Am I involved in ministries that utilize the gifts and abilities that God has given me to the fullest extent? Does the way that I spend my time reflect God's priorities and that I value the things that God values? Then based on my answers to those questions I make changes.

You see I could be involved in a lot of different things. I could join different civic groups that are focused on helping people. I could spend the majority of my time and energy at work. I could spend all my time bettering myself. But would those be the things that God wants me to be involved in? It's not that in and of themselves they would be bad uses of my time. But would they be the best use of my time?

I believe that God commands us to be committed to a local body of believers and for us to actively use our gifts and abilities within that body. Romans 12 tells us that we are members one of another. Each member has a role within the body and when a part of the body is not functioning properly and doing its work, it impacts the rest of the body. Eph 4:16 speaks of the body being fitted and joined together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part. It ends by saying that the end result of every individual part properly working is that the body is built up.

The bottom line is that when I fail to use my gifts and abilities within the body I am not the only one impacted by that. My lack of service and ministry within the body of Christ affects others. Your choice to serve or not to serve within the body of Christ matters. If you are not doing your proper work, others are not being built up the way that God intended. That's serious business. As I think through how to use my time, this principle drives the choices that I make and it should impact yours.

That means we need you. Women's Ministry at Calvary Bible Church isn't about a committee of nine doing all the work. Women's Ministry at Calvary isn't about events either. We need you to use your gifts and you need to be using your gifts in obedience to Christ.

I want to encourage each woman at Calvary to do some self evaluation. Are you involved in the things that God desires you to be involved in? Are you actively ministering in the body of Christ? Maybe some of you are saying, “Well, I want to get involved but how?” What are some ways that you can get involved and not waste your life? (Please note: The ways listed below are a few of the ways you can get involved. They are not the only ways or the only ministries you can be involved in.)

First I encourage you to be involved by praying. Pray for the women at our church. Pray for our church, pray for our leaders and our elders. Possibly start a prayer group with some of your friends that specifically prays together for these things. However you do it — Pray!!!!

Second, you can get involved in some of the various women's events we have. I find it sad that in a church our size we often only have seventy women at Truth–In–Practice Sessions (TIPS). Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for those of you who are faithful to come to TIPS but there are many of you out there that need to come too. Come and be fed from God's Word but come ready to look for others you can minister to. TIPS is not a spectator event. TIPS provides a tremendous opportunity for you to meet women that you might not normally cross paths with and to begin to live out what it means in Heb 10:24 when it says that we are to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Come to TIPS looking and praying for one new person to meet and then follow up with that person on Sunday or during the week. Discuss with others who were there ways that you plan to apply what you heard and hold each other accountable to following through with your application.

Another way that you can get involved is begin to attend a Women's Bible Study. The Women's Bible Studies provide another avenue for you to be challenged from God's Word and for you to go deep into God's Word. Come ready to change. In addition, Bible Studies are another opportunity for you to get to know other women at Calvary and develop relationships with them. If you are already attending a women's Bible study, then begin to look for one woman each week in your group that you can encourage during the week. Call someone in your Bible study group. Follow up on prayer requests that were given. Invite someone in your group out to lunch or to dinner to get to know them better. In other words, actively pursue ministry with others in your study.

MOMS is another avenue for you to consider getting involved in. MOMS is a ministry we have to mothers of young children. I would specifically encourage some of you who have been through that stage of life to prayerfully consider getting involved in that group. Come pass on what God has taught you. Be part of encouraging and training young mothers in what it means to be a godly mother.

There's one other way that I would encourage all of you to be involved in Women's Ministry at Calvary. Titus 2 commands that the older women are to train the younger women. I know for most of us discipleship is a scary idea but I urge you older women at Calvary to be pursuing some of the younger women. Discipleship begins by developing a relationship with someone. So start there. Sunday mornings look around

you and say who is one woman around me that I could introduce myself to and then start to get to know that woman. Don't be content to limit your interaction to your circle of friends — the people who you are comfortable with.

Younger women do the same thing. Look for an older woman you can begin to get to know. And then pursue getting to know them. Be careful not to go into it just thinking about how they can minister to you but begin by thinking about how you can encourage and minister to them.

The bottom line is that being a Christian is not a passive activity. You are called and commanded to be actively using your gifts within the Body of Christ. Ministry isn't just an event it's a lifestyle. Is it yours?

Many of you I commend. You're doing well. Ministry is a lifestyle for you. Others of you I urge to get busy for the kingdom. Invest in what matters. Quit wasting your life.