24 Jul God’s Power Made Perfect
Leading the Clemson Summer LINK Team has been an incredible experience for me. I never expected to get the opportunity to co-lead a Summer LINK Team, so when I was asked to lead I was immediately overtaken with excitement, as well as anxiousness. Excitement, because I was getting an opportunity to develop as a leader, invest in girls through discipleship, and impact Clemson with the gospel through our team. Anxious, because this was my first time in a leadership role, and the burden and responsibility of leadership, shepherding, and teaching was evident to my heart and mind.
The Lord has been overwhelmingly gracious, patient, and kind to me as I bore this burden of leadership. I was thankful that I did not have to carry it alone ? my co-leader and our spouses helped carry the burden of decision-making, responsibility, and caring for our team members. But even more than that, the Lord Himself was able also to help me carry it. Oh how thankful I am for the Lord?s help! There were many times I was consistently shooting up arrow prayers to the Lord asking, ?Lord, help me!? And He consistently and faithfully gave me wisdom, strength, and the will to lovingly lead my team members. And I am also sure that He supplied me with many other needs as I prayed to Him during these difficult (and often joyful) moments of leadership.
Leadership development does not happen without the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. In order to be developing I need to be growing, in order to be growing I need to be dying to sin and living to God through repentance and faith. ?Dying? is not an enjoyable process ? many times it is painful. Being given the opportunity by Generation LINK and the Lord to be a leader this summer has guaranteed that I struggle, and at times possibly fail. But it is during these times ? the times where I am desperate and needy for the Lord ? where He supplies me with His great power. When I am faced with situations where I hope for the burden to be taken away, I am reminded again and again of the Paul?s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ?But he said to me, ?My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.? Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.?
I am content for the sake of Christ! Therefore, I will carry the burdens He calls me to, even leadership. Jesus has saved me, gifted me, and called me to the amazing mission of making disciples for His glory and worshipping and enjoying Him. I am thankful then, to boast in my weaknesses, so that I may have the opportunity to consistently run to Christ to meet my every need.
Brothers and sisters, as we abide in Christ in our leadership, let us pray and sing to the Lord this verse in O Great God, which has been a daily exhortation and comfort to me this summer:
“Help me now to live a life
That?s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me”
-Rachel Dietrich
Summer LINK Clemson Assistant Director