How Mystic’s absence is setting me free…

I mentioned here about the Mystic/Dominic dream my friend had during our 40-day fast, and here about how I felt after God freed my heart from Mystic’s influence. This one simple shift has impacted so many aspects of my life, I feel like I’m seeing fruit of it left and right. I’m telling you, that lady was everywhere!  😉 I know it might not apply to you, but I feel like it’s worth sharing, just in case.

In some ways, it seems like such a small thing—exchanging a desire for experiences with God for a desire for God, allowing Him to birth His work in us however it looks, however He pleases. But it affects everything. Most significantly, I’ve noticed that Mystic’s absence has brought a newfound freedom and joy in leadership.

Close friends know that I don’t actually love leading. It isn’t my primary spiritual gift. I’d much rather hole up and read or write, or prepare a message and teach. And yet, leadership is where I often find myself, so I’ve wrestled over the years with this oft-experienced feeling of dread, before leading Bible study, a small group, church services, even a prayer meeting.

The weight of responsibility feels so heavy.

Part of that is appropriate, we should feel the weight of something as important as shepherding people, but still it seemed like something could be different. For example, I was always the one suggesting we take a break from Bible study. I was always the one suggesting we have an off-week. I was always the one leaning towards cancelling if some people couldn’t make it. Though I hate to admit it, I was eager to “get out of” leadership opportunities. I just figured it was a normal part of leadership, but, strangely enough, it had to do with Mystic.

I really had no idea this pressure was upon me, but I see it now. A subtle pressure from the skewed belief that I’m just a little bit responsible for producing a certain experience for those who I lead. Did I pray enough? Did I prepare enough? What if everything I say seems to fall flat? What if no one responds? What if they all walk away like, “Huh, that wasn’t very impactful.” What if people yawn??

The slightest skewed perspective can produce devastating results. A subtle pressure exerted on our hearts and minds over time, can be deadly. It can slowly push us over the edge.

Now, of course, there is a role we play as leaders. If we neglect prayer, neglect prep, neglect our hearts and ignore God’s leading, we cannot expect Him to do a powerful work in our midst. He often still does, He is eternally gracious, but we are certainly responsible to obey Him in any way He calls us to prepare.

But that’s just it. We obey Him in all things, in the unseen, in the ways that might not even see directly related to the upcoming event.

There’s freedom. My efforts can be focused on simply obeying my Father, not working to produce some certain experience or result.

With mystic gone, there’s JOY in leadership. It’s not up to me! It’s all Him! And I don’t have produce some emotional experience for people. As we are faithful to the Father, fervent in prayer, and we present the truth of the Gospel and the power and love of Jesus Christ, lives will change.

If we have to add some spice or extra glitz to the gospel, we expose our underlying belief that the gospel isn’t enough.

But it is. Jesus Christ is enough. The only secret sauce is Him. The Wow is already baked in.

And we release its full power by simply believing that He is enough. For us, for them. The load of leadership becomes light because the burden is His.

{May there be freedom for you this week. Thanks for reading.}