Leadership Column: What Is Jesus Doing?

By Jeanne Paynter

Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

Many of us can identify with the fisherman, Peter, in Luke 5. We have labored in our livelihood and "caught nothing." We are running out of energy and out of time. Others identify with the grieving sister, Martha in John 11, facing a loss we can't comprehend with the cry, "Lord, if only...?"

Although He is ever-present in our lives, there are times when Jesus arrives on the scene with power and reveals Himself through a bountiful catch or a restored relationship. But He never stops there. He invites us into His greater purpose in the world, redemption (you will become fishers of men) and resurrection (in Me you will never die).

As Central Deacons, we have the mission to be Jesus' hands of mercy and heart of compassion. This ministry can be daunting if, in each circumstance, we ask the question, "What Would Jesus Do?" and then set off to try to do it. Instead, we need to ask, "What Is Jesus Doing?" What is He doing in the lives of the grieving widow, the father who has lost his job, the lonely single confined to home, or your bad report from the doctor? It is not for us to imitate Christ, but to join Him in His purpose.

Jesus is the Diakonon, the One Who Serves (Luke 22:27). We don't invite him into our ministry, He invites us into His. Only in Him do we have God's love and the Holy Spirit's power. At our human best, we have good intentions, honed skills, and polished procedures. Admirable, but not redemptive.

Even with a slate of new Deacons full of potential and promise, we look at our growing congregation and wonder how so few can feed so hungry a crowd. What is Jesus doing? He is inviting us to new levels of surrender and intimacy, so that we can say with Paul, "Not I, but Christ (Gal. 2:20)." In union with Jesus, the burden is light.

This year, as we approach every human circumstance and need, let's first ask the question, "What is Jesus Doing?" Then let's join Him.