Wisdom is an interesting companion. Dictionary.com’s first definition reads as follows:

the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

More than just knowledge, rather erudition coupled with perspicaciousness. I think this is a good summation of Biblical God-Given wisdom as well. People all over the known world sought Solomon’s advice; it wasn’t just that he had unlimited knowledge, rather he knew what to do with it and how to apply it to everyday life. Proverbs 4 tells us that the pursuit of wisdom will cost all we have, yet the benefits far outweigh the cost. But the admonishments against trusting earthly wisdom are nearly as prevalent in scripture as the encouragements of seeking Godly wisdom. And when it comes down to it, I have no doubt that most Christ followers understand that our finite understanding is no match for Gods omniscience. James 1:5 tells us that God gives wisdom generously to all who ask it of him; knowing there is hope yet for my stupidity brings great comfort, because I’ve certainly made a few bone-headed moves over the span of my decision making life.

But don’t you love how God likes to throw a paradox into the mix every now and then? We can seek God-given wisdom for years, mature in that wisdom, and even have others hold us in high regard concerning our wisdom in various situations because we have sought God and held with faith James’ words, trusting their divine inspiration. We analyze situations with wisdom and understanding that God has blessed us with in order to make decisions that are most in line with God’s character… And God throws a wrench in gears and cranks out the next level of wisdom which we can never obtain or even begin to comprehend: Divine Wisdom.

It’s the proverbial exception to the rule, where every ounce of our Christian self says “no! this is not the way to do it!” but God answers with Job-like proportions “Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?” (Chpt 38) … in other words “What do you know of my wisdom? I have only given you a taste of my wisdom so that you may know that I am God… My foolishness is wiser than your wisdom and my weakness is stronger than your strength (1 Cor 1:25). What do you know of my wisdom?”

It’s not hard to humbly accept those words from the Creator of the universe, but it’s often difficult to realize that what appears to be a contradiction of Godly wisdom is simply God being God and using Divine wisdom that stretches beyond our understanding. Asking “why, God?” is a legit question, but for what its worth, you won’t always understand the answer…

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
Romans 11:33

(read part one)
(read part two)

Here is what all this comes down to for me.

I want to enable missionaries who long to evangelize the least reached.
I want to enable those who’s hearts break for the homeless.
I want to enable musicians who want to ply their craft as instruments of hope.
I want to enable parents who long to see their children grow into men and women of God.
I want to enable dreamers and visionaries who need that extra “umph” to take the next risky step.
I want to enable those who see broken friends but aren’t sure how to reach them.
I want to enable … through the enabling power of Christ who is alive and real and longs to see people who are proactive rather than passive.

I have no idea how this plays out vocationally. I know that I would love for my vocation to allow me to do this, but it’s something that I want to become whether my job plays into it or not… after all, ministry is a lifestyle, not a job… though sometimes the burden is heavier than any normal job.

and I know a few things if this is who I am to be:

* I have to cultivate creativeness in my life in order to bring fresh and motivating ideas to the table.
* I have to be keenly aware of the needs of those around me. Unfortunately most people don’t share their dreams anymore; I must be sensitive in order to find ways to enable…
* I have to be willing to work along side those I enable. This desire to enable sounds like a cop-out…After all, if i’m enabling then i don’t have to do the dirty work, right? But that is not the case at all. I want to find ways to partake in the work at some point or another. From mission field to soup kitchen, servanthood must be first and foremost a part of the enabling.
* I have to be willing to take risks by investing time, energy, money, emotions and trust into people who are probably less flawed than I but flawed none-the-less.
* I have to be willing to sacrifice.
* I have to make sure that my first ministry is to my family. I must enable my wife and children just as much as I enable my friends and those who cross my path.
* I have to know when to say “no.”

I have a long way to go… but I guess the only way to get started is asking… what do you want to do? And how can we help you get there? … or … can i borrow 50 bucks? (whichever you’d prefer to answer)

(read part one)

I want to make this very clear before moving on… I’m not so blind or arrogant to think that is anything that is done within my own power. It is completely the power of God that enables, even if I may be one of the many vessels that He chooses to use to initiate the enabling. The word itself may be substituted if you like… we’re called to encourage and edify one another, and all enabling does is take it to the next level.

It is one thing to say “You can do it!”, it’s another to say “You can do it! Here’s how.” and even a another to say “You can do it! Here’s how. Let me help.”  This is something I’ve thought and discussed quite a bit… I long to be the type of person that says the third; it is more a passion within me than any of the ministry vocations that I’ve tossed around in my head over the last couple of years.

You might say “aren’t we all called to encourage and enable?” … well… yes and no.

In the same way we are all called to fulfill the great commission? Yes.
In the way that some people say we are all called to mission work? No.

People use the great commission to tell us that we are all called to evangelize. I was guilted into believing this for so long… I have always felt more inclined to help people become followers of Christ who are dedicated to serving Him out of love, whether that means ministering to fellow Christians, new converts, or those who don’t know Christ. Don’t get me wrong, my heart breaks for the lost and I hope to see as many people come into relationship with Christ as possible. But Jesus, through the great commission, does not call us solely to proselytize, He calls us to make disciples. Conversion / Evangelism is a step in discipleship but it is not the end game. Scripture tells us multiple times that we are all part of the body and we all have different roles. Take a look at Paul’s words to the Church at Ephesus:

It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (4:11-12)

I honestly don’t know which of these roles “enabler” falls under, but I know that we are called to our various roles in order “to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Perhaps this is the best definition of “enabler” for me. I hope that I can be a vessel that helps prepare others in a way that they can fulfill their roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers.

We are all called to encourage each other. If your heart moves you, take it up a notch and offer “here’s how” and “let me help,” but if not, do whatever you can to fulfill your role in the Body through Christ who is the head.

(if you care, part three deals with specifics of how it burns in my heart and what needs to happen from here)

Blake has a great idea for shifting from commercialism to commission this Christmas and beyond. I encourage you to read all you can about this 20$ bottle of water. Check all the various links on Blake’s post concerning Charity:Water, they’re informational and inspiring.

As of yesterday at about 9:15 PM, school for this semester is over. I flew through my final oral presentation… I’m not sure I breathed in the 7 minutes I was doing my thing… I guess it’s a bit of a nervous habit, but I don’t generally *feel* nervous… It usually happens when I feel like there is a lot to say and I have to get it said in a specific time frame. If I had the floor for 30 minutes, I might’ve slowed down. It was fun though.

So, going to a Christian College, a question comes up in discussion multiple times in a semester. No less than seven times in 3.5 classes by three professors and four students I have been asked “What’s your major?” followed immediately by “What do you plan on doing when you’re done?” …

It’s a tough question to answer. I have ideas, but nothing solid. Sometimes I have passions for a very specific vocation, other times I am tossed to-and-fro between a small handful of options. Last night, though, I think I finally found the right answer…

I want to be an enabler.

Last night wasn’t the first time I’ve said this, it’s just the first time I used it to answer that specific question.

en•a•ble: 1. to make able; give power, means, competence, or ability to; authorize (from dictionary.com)
enabler: one that enables another to achieve an end; especially : one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by helping that individual avoid the consequences of such behavior (from Merriam-Webster Online)

-Okay, so throw out commonly used term of someone who enables another to continue in a destructive manner, and this is who I want to be. -

God has enabled us to accomplish the work that He has set us to do… lead people to place of seeing Christ as their loving, merciful saviour and, after the Holy Spirit does the work, continuing the process by leading others into a life of discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20) . Through the enabling power of Christ, I hope to enable those who may already be traveling the road of discipleship for the work that God has laid on their hearts.

I’ll anticipate your follow up question of “What do you mean by that exactly as it relates to ministry?” and give you an answer next post on the subject.

( I was going to post this all at once, but it kept growing… it’s friday and I know you don’t want to read yet another 2000 word essay on my website, so you’ll just have to wait with anticipation if you’re really that interested.)