Have you ever heard the words, “There’s not enough money”, “You can’t do that, it’s never been done before”, “We tried that and it will fail”, or “we don’t have the space”. Have you ever walked out of a staff meeting or board meeting feeling defeated or frustrated?

Sometimes as leaders in Children’s Ministry we feel like we are caught in the middle and we have no control over what is happening, and nowhere to turn. What we choose to do during these times will determine whether our children’s ministry moves ahead or regresses. If we do not know what God has promised us in His word, and we do not hide it in our heart, it will be very easy to become discouraged and focus on what others say and how others see the circumstances surrounding us.

If you take the time to read the story in Mark 5:35-43 about the ruler who went to Jesus to seek help for his daughter you will discover some pretty powerful points. Jesus said “Do not be afraid, only believe” after He heard the facts that the girl was dead. We must remember that fact and truth are not the same. Fact is… the girl was dead; truth is… Jesus had the power to change that. Fact is… there may be some areas of your children’s ministry that are “dead”. The truth is… Jesus has the power to change that!

In Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 it talks about the importance of what we believe. I encourage you to read both chapters in their entirety several times. I would like to point out two statements in particular.  In chapter 3 it states “So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God.” Then in chapter 4 we read “… “We need to be careful we’re not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t believe, …” then it goes on to say “Remember that God said, ‘exasperated, I vowed, They’ll never get where they’re going. Never be able to sit down and rest.” (Message bible)

David Walters in his Book “The Anointing and You” made the following quote and although I do not agree with some of his beliefs and opinions I thought this point was very powerful and requires some thought.

“We often say love is the greatest, agreed; but faith is the first. (See 1 Cor.13: 13) Faith is the springboard for everything else to function. If we do anything without faith, no matter how noble, it will be of no use. We could also be sinning. “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Rom 14:23)  

Doubt separates us from what God would do in us and through us.  It hinders us from moving forward with Him. We also see in Hebrews 11:6 that faith in God is the one thing that pleases Him above all others. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)” Why? When you really believe that God will do what He has promised, you will crucify your flesh and cast down any thoughts that do not line up with what God asks of you.  You will not allow yourself to be moved by negative reports and comments from others, which do not line up with what God has promised you for your life or your Children’s Ministry. Real faith will require that of you. Can you crucify your flesh and tell it to shut up when it’s screaming doubt and circumstantial fact in your face? Can you overcome facts & reasoning and simply stand on the truth of God’s Word, believing that God will come through for you?

Can you imagine how Moses must have felt at the moment he saw the Egyptian army coming at him and the Red sea behind him? Fact and logic would tell him “Good try, but it’s over, give it up”. But because he new the truth and was full of faith he did not give up. Instead, he focused on what he believed in, and turned to God for instructions. Have you ever noticed how peculiar God’s instructions are to us when we look to Him for help? It was no different for Moses. Thousands of people are gasping & screaming, frantic about the fact that they are about to be annihilated. They are looking to him as “the great deliverer!” Wondering what he is going to do (ever felt like that on a Sunday morning?), and God tells him to “life up his rod, and stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it” Sure God … no problem! Wouldn’t you love to have been able to read his thoughts at that moment? What was going through his mind? What battles he was fighting in his flesh? We will never know (unless he tells us when we get to heaven), because his thoughts or his flesh did not move him. Instead he looked deep into his heart, and what he believed in, and acted on that.

There will be seasons in your children’s ministry when fact and logic collide with the truth of God’s word. At these times you will need to choose whether you will settle for the facts or stand on the truth of God’s word, and follow what is in your heart. If you desire to see the “unseen” you will first have to stand the test of “only believing.”

This means that you will be able to go through service after service faced with the fact that you don’t have enough volunteers, the one’s you have need training, you’ve run out of space, there’s not enough money for the supplies and resources you need in order to minister effectively. But you do not let that get you down. You keep your eyes on the truth of God’s word. He will send the laborers, He will show you how to train them, and He will make a way for more space, when there seems to be no way. He will provide the supplies and resources you need, even if He has to sell some of His cattle on the 1,000 hills! ONLY BLEIEVE and obey Him when He gives you instructions. (Part 3 of this series will deal with the obeying and following His instructions.) 

If you want to see God to do great things then you must be willing to do the following: