Do what you can do for yourself, then ask God to do what you can't do for yourself. Part 1

I love my job. Let me say it again, I LOVE MY JOB. I was reminded of that today as I watched our church break an attendance record for a normal Sunday. (Meaning not Easter, Christmas, or something of the like.) As I write this, I am still waiting to get the final number. One of the most remarkable things I have ever seen or been a part of is the growth here at WEC. (Waters Edge Church) The Sunday I came up to interview and lead worship was November the 7th of last year. They had just under 2,000 the day I was here, and the staff was absolutely blown away by that number. I remember setting in an evaluation meeting after one of the morning services, listening to the staff talk about where God had brought them, and what it was like in the early days at the YMCA in Yorktown. To listen to the astonishment and humility in their voices as a result of unheard of growth in a church was a really neat experience.

So why would a church grow like this? Why in the world would God bless a movement like this in Hampton Roads? Honestly, I don't know the answer to any of those questions. What I do know, is what I have learned from my pastor: do what you can do for yourself, then trust God to do what you can't do for yourself. This isn't a formula or some mantra that's cute, it's really built into the DNA of WEC, and in many ways my own family. We intently focus on what we can control, and trust God with what is out of our hands.  As a church, individual, or organization, imagine the impact you could have if you shifted from the paradigm that says "Well, it's just church," or "I know it's not great, but hopefully God will bless it," to the "I'm going to do what I can do, then ask God to do what I can't do" mindset. Think about it. I don't know about you, but I personally have the tendency to only do what's necessary, and hope that everything just turns out o.k. If you really think about your situation, you're probably the same exact way, and it likely shows itself in the area you're most gifted. You tend to slack in the area that comes easiest for you, because you think if you're just a little bit unprepared, or you say to yourself "just this one time, I can slide by," and things will be o.k. I 'm not sure that this is a great example of doing what you can do for yourself, then leaving the rest to God.

So if we could pen it down, what would a good picture of this look like? What does it mean to give yourself fully to the cause of God, or to any cause for that matter? I'll elaborate on the next post. What are your thoughts?