When I attended the Inspire Missioner retreat last May I experienced a deep work of healing from self-sufficiency and self-doubt which I struggled with all throughout my first year out of Seminary but these things have been there on and off most of my life. That encounter was a break through moment that began an intentional journey this summer of surrendering more to the love of Jesus and rediscovering sabbath, rest, and the wonderful gift of play.
Through a combination of subsequent reading, listening and spiritual conversation, I gradually came to a really big realization and confession…I am not in control AND my measurements of success were great skewed! Even though I was saying it’s not about numbers, it’s not about cash flow, etc… I found myself saying things like this. As listened to my mentors and The Spirit,I took it as such…
“Derik, it seems like in this ministry field God has you working in, you’re just looking for GMO corn. Your field has a multitude of crops. Some grow fast, some grow slow. It’s not all about corn. What about squash, apples, carrots, and kale? What about all of the microscopic growth happening under the surface, in the soil that you don’t notice or even see?! OPEN YOUR EYES and see ALL that I am doing. It’s not just about GMO Corn. It’s about a bountiful harvest with all types of fruit.”
Anyways, y’all get the gist. So I began to see the little things like people praying for the first time out loud in House Fellowship. People entering into the Bible for the first time in years. People taking next steps into Band. People even saying, “Evergreen is my church”. When I stopped and honestly answered the question my spiritual director asked me, “Are the people your leading and shepherding drawing closer to Jesus and do they look more like him now than they did a year ago?” and my answer is “YES!” that’s success. So regardless of numbers, cashflow, or any other traditional metrics of success, if your disciples are drawing closer to Jesus and looking more like Him then what more could you ask for?
Derik, and his wife Kim, are Inspire Missioners and Church Planters in Michigan, USA. If you would like to here more about how they are using Inspire in their context, contact us
