The word ‘Battle’ has been at the forefront of my mind this week; it has been a key part of my week in several ways, through experiences and as a place. The three reasons that this word has been key for me this week are linked, personal, ministry and place, and so come together into this week’s blog…
‘Battle’ (noun): To struggle tenaciously to achieve or resist something
Personal: This week has been tough, it’s been a struggle. James (age 15, Autism Spectrum Condition and Learning Disability) has refused to return to school, and although he has made little steps in the right direction, and has made short evening trips out of the house, we are a long way (or a miracle) away from a return to school any time soon… It feels like a constant battle at the moment to get James to cooperate with even the very basic things that he has been happy to do for years. Sometimes we are able to celebrate the victories, seeing things moving in the right direction, but then sometimes we unexpectedly find ourselves in retreat, trying to hold hard fought ground but feeling like we’re losing.
Ministry: This week has (finally!) seen me being able to fully focus on my new full-time role in Urban Saints as Additional Needs Ministry Director. Having laid down my previous Chief Operating Officer role, handing it over to my newly recruited replacement, I am released to the calling I believe God has placed on my heart; to enable, equip, encourage and envision children’s, youth and families workers to reach out to, include, create belonging and faith development for all with additional needs or disabilities. It’s taken a year to get here from the point when God spoke clearly to me that I needed to focus in this area. It’s felt like a battle at times to work through the transition, both from a work and family perspective. There have been times when I’ve wondered if I would ever get here… When I doubted if I had heard correctly from God at all… But then I continued to see God’s hand at work, and encouragement and affirmation kept coming through to support and lift me up.
The doubts and feelings of defeat we have, either as parents or in ministry, are important to recognise and deal with. They are one of the most effective tools of the enemy to attack us and pull us down, to turn us away from what we are called to, to convince us that it’s just all too hard and that giving up and walking away would be so much easier… But, to do so would be to ignore a couple of very important things…
Firstly… the reason we are under attack is because we are dangerous to the enemy. He wouldn’t be bothered with us unless we were a threat. By the way we parent our child, showing unconditional love through all the struggles, we are modelling what Jesus taught us, to love each other as we love ourselves. By the way we serve in ministry, reaching out to others in Jesus’ name, we are taking the Gospel to all peoples. And the enemy hates us for that, and wants to bring us down, to stop us, to cause us to quit, to convince us that we can’t win this battle. Maybe if we were alone, and he was just attacking us, he would be right, but that’s where the second important thing comes in…
We are not alone… we are on God’s side, and he is on ours… The victory has already been won, these battles we face are just skirmishes, but even as we struggle in these times we are not on our own… remember the words of Elisha:
The servant of the man of God got up the next morning. He went out early. He saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my master!” the servant said. “What can we do?” “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Elisha prayed, “Lord, open my servant’s eyes so that he can see.” Then the Lord opened his eyes. Elisha’s servant looked up and saw the hills. He saw that Elisha was surrounded by horses and chariots made of fire. (2 Kings 6:15-17)
We are not alone, we do not battle alone, if we open our eyes, our hearts, our minds, our very souls, to the Lord, he will reveal to us that he is there for us, with us. His army stands alongside us, and he gives us each other to support us too. Which brings me to the final reason the word ‘Battle’ has been important to me this week…
Place: The autumn tour of the Urban Saints ‘All Inclusive?’ training programme that I run, helping churches to be inclusive, create belonging and develop faith in all children and young people, particularly those with additional needs and disabilities, started this week in the town of Battle in East Sussex. It seems apt that, with all that’s been going on, the first place for me to visit would have the name that best represents my struggles! And it was a victorious evening, really great times sharing about inclusion, belonging and faith development with a positive and responsive group of children’s, youth and families workers. A wonderful start to the autumn tour and a reminder that I’m doing what God has called me to do… That feeling of being in exactly the right place is very special indeed!
So, when we feel that we are in a battle, whether personally or in ministry, let us remember that it means we’re doing something right, and that we’re not doing it on our own… We’re doing what God has called us to, what pleases him… Let’s keep bringing it back to God and recognising that he is with us, that his army stands alongside us, and that we stand alongside each other…
And with a mighty battle roar, let’s throw ourselves back into the fight! Amen!
Mark
10th September 2017
Image rights: English Heritage (header), Urban Saints (banner), author (others)
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