My wife and I attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference held in Dallas this April. On the way to the conference my wife was excited about the conference and about getting involved in this ministry. I was looking forward to the conference but I had other issues that God had been working out in me. I was not completely sure that orphan ministry was where he wanted me right now.I tried to share my concern with my wife but I did not do too well. I tried to explain that God has been working on pride issues in me and telling me to focus on Jesus first above all else. My struggle is that I don't think I do the basics right. I’m still wrestling at making sure Jesus is glorified in all I do and that my life needs to be about living out the gospel and telling others about Jesus.
This may sound weird to some, but something like orphan ministry actual sounded easy compared to my first responsibility of living the gospel and sharing it with others. It’s easy to have a broken heart for the orphan. But I need to have a broken heart for my neighbor.
I teach a Sunday morning bible study. I enjoy it. God’s word excites me and teaching it excites me. But when I am at my job or with others that don’t know Jesus, I stay quiet. This is what God has been working out in me. Orphan care ministry needed to come after the gospel ministry.
As I tried to explain this to my wife on the trip up to Dallas I think I frustrated her. I sounded like I was looking for excuses but I wasn’t. I just was not explaining where I was coming from very well.
The first breakout session we attended at the conference was a lesson called “A Theology of Adoption”. It was presented by Daniel Bennett, the Senior Pastor at Bethany Community Church in Washington, Illinois. God is so good. He took the very first session and within the very first five minutes, let me know that AdoptionOrphan Care ministry starts when the church’s heart is first desiring to know and glorify God.
You see, I was concerned about orphan care ministry being focused on the orphan. Don’t get me wrong, we need to love and care for the orphans and that is the point of the ministry. But here I am struggling with glorifying Jesus above all else and I knew a heart-breaking ministry could tempt me to focus primarily on the injustice. My focus would be what “I” could do or encourage “others” to do. Any ministry has to be about what “God” will do. My heart needs to be about glorifying God, and through glorifying Him loving others – orphans in orphan care ministries, but also my co-worker and my neighbor.
So what is the theology of adoption? Here are the six points that Pastor Bennett laid out:
1. Our adoption was accomplished despite our condition. (Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-11)
2. Our adoption was an act of God. (Romans 3:24-26)
3. Our adoption was accomplished through the suffering of our savior. (Romans 5:6-11; Romans 6:1-11)
4. Our adoption makes us part of a new family. (Romans 8:14-17)
5. Our adoption can never be revoked. (Romans 8:14-39)
6. Our adoption is for the glory of God. (Romans 9:22-29)
The theology of adoption is about glorifying God and about the gospel. What God has been working out in me these past six months and still today, is preparing me for this ministry. I don’t know if he has me ready yet, but I’m placing one foot in front of the other and we’ll see where he takes me.
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteI am so encouraged to see you back at blogging!
I can so relate to this. Not so much the specific ministry that God is calling you to (as important as it is), but missing what God was doing, pointing me to, while my wife saw more clearly and knew in her heart. Thank God we don't have to walk through life only doing things we want or feel are God's will. I can't tell you how many times I have found God's will in where my wife's heart is and the direction she is going in her faith. God has given us a helpmate for so many reasons, but one I have so often overlooked in my marriage is discovering God's will for my life. I am listening and watching her more and more as I search for the will of God.
peace & grace in Christ,
brad
The Semetic tradition of adoption, Jewish and Arab, considered adoption as a good work. Jews refer to it as a mitzvah. In the Islamic tradition it is forbidden to obscure the adoptee's origins. His family of origin (birth) is still an important part of his Heritage and its preservation an obligation. That in no way negates the contribution that someone makes when they adopt a child not of their own blood. My adoptive parents were Christian but they understood that and sought to help me uncover the birth heritage that was denied to me as an adoptee. I hope that as you explore this ministry, you will find yourself drawn to righting the wrongs in how adoption is practiced in this nation of which the secrecy is only one.
ReplyDeleteMarissa - it was a great conference. We purchased the entire DVD set of all of the main speakers and breakout sessions. It was a wealth of information. I left there in awe of how God was at work in the people there (both the speakers and the attendees).
ReplyDeleteBrad - I couldn't agree more. Part of being the spiritual leader is "listening" to what God is saying to you and what he is saying to your wife. I think he sometimes speaks to her first because I don't always listen very well.
Ann - I agree with you. The child we are adoping from Ethiopia was abandoned so we will not be able to connect him to his family but we will make teaching him about his Ethiopian heritage a priority. We are already studying about his culture as a family and we will be doing what we can to make his culture prominient in our lives.
With the adoption agency we are working with, if the birth family is known, they will work with you to help you include that family in the child's life.
I know that it is often more difficult with domestic adoptions as there are vairous laws that get in the way. I empathize with how frustrating and discouraging it must be for adopted children\adults to not be able to find out anything about their birth family.
Tony
Mel - Thank you for your words of encouragement.
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