“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Luke 12.27-31
It’s pretty amazing to think about what the Lord has done in my ministry as of late. I don’t take credit; I simply boast in the Lord.
I sit here in Wilmore, near Asbury Seminary—the place that trained me theologically. Yet now I am helping promote a new endeavor: the Wesley House of Studies at Truett Seminary. In just six years, we have seen explosive growth: several endowments, more than three hundred students, a staff of ten, and the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit at our backs. I love what God did through me at Asbury, and I am loving the work He is doing now at Truett.
Ten years ago, I had serious doubts whether God would ever use me in ministry again. Restarting the work with youth camps and retreats—naming it Revive—and helping form a new program to train Methodist pastors at a Baptist university seemed completely out of the question. Yet today I sit presiding over two thriving endeavors that stand as evidence of the Lord’s work to redeem the world, save His people, and raise up shepherds for the harvest.
In this passage, Jesus reminds us for the second time in the chapter not to worry, but to trust God, to seek His kingdom first, and to receive the good gifts from the Father. Just as He illustrated with the ravens in the previous verses, here Jesus uses the flowers (lilies in some translations) to make the point: if God so carefully tends to them, how much more will He take care of His people—those He loves and created in His image.
Forget what God did ten years ago in my life. What about thirty years ago, when I was walking to class on this very seminary campus—seeking to be a faithful student, single, without a dime to my name, with no trail of fruitfulness behind me, only the compelling drive of the Holy Spirit? Through all those three decades, God has been faithful, fruitful, and fantastic.
He can be trusted. He will not only use us—He will inspire us. He will give us a heart for what excites Him and what breaks His heart. He wants to use us to change the world in Jesus’ name.
So trust Him today. The God who was faithful in the past will be faithful in the future.
“O Lord God, when I come to places where I have such a history, I am often reflective of Your work in my life in those very places. It reminds me of Your faithfulness through the years. Even when I walked away, sinned, and fell into shame, You delivered me—time and time again. And so I sit, thankful for Your love, confident in Your power, and yielded like clay in the hands of the Potter. Come now, Holy Spirit, have Your way with me. Help me trust You more. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.