Q: I was in a ministry where God was using me for 2 years. I felt Him tell me move on and I have left this ministry. Is it normal to feel some grief when God closes a door?
A: I believe it is human nature to feel some form of grief when we leave an environment we enjoy. That is the case whether it is a ministry we are involved in, a job we have worked at, a living situation that comes to an end or a variety of enjoyable circumstances we experience in life. Many of us don't like change, but change is the only thing that continues to happen in our lives. When the Apostle Paul was getting set to leave Caesarea the brothers and sisters in Christ pleaded with him not to go because they new he was headed for his death. Paul responded to them by asking, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart (Acts 21:13)?" Obviously, Paul felt some grief with the knowledge that his time with the brethren was coming to an end. But, with anything in life we are secure in the knowledge that God is with us wherever we may go.
The definition of grief is "a cause or occasion of keen distress or sorrow." Why would you feel distress or sorrow when something comes to an end? It is because you enjoy what you are doing. You said God was using you for two years. Now, you feel He is leading you in a different direction. I would suggest that you not focus on what you are leaving behind, and how it makes you feel, but on what lies ahead of you in your walk with the Lord. Remember, "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10)." The work we do, and may I add whether we enjoy it or not, is the work of the Lord. God will use us when and where He sees fit to use us. Our responsibility is to be available to Him to use us when the opportunity arises. Be thankful that you were being used by God. I believe there are many times that we may not know God has used us. I only say this because the fruit we bear is not our fruit, but the Lord producing it through us. And the fruit we bear is not for us, but for those we come in contact with on a daily basis. We may not even know that someone partook of the fruit we bore for Christ.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)." Any time we bear these fruits of the Lord is a time when God is using us. This can take place at any time, not just those times we are involved in ministry efforts. How many times a day do we have an opportunity to love someone, be patient, be kind or exhibit self-control? These opportunities can arise at any moment of the day in any circumstance. A wise man once said that "we cannot show the love of God towards others unless they are sinning against us." In other words, the best chance to be loving, patient, kind and under control is when someone else is not being loving, patient, kind and under control towards us. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit. It is not our fruit. It can only be expressed by God through us.
It is normal to be grieved by having to move on from a ministry that we enjoyed. Take heart in the fact that you believe God is telling you to move on. I pray that you become confident in one thing as you move on in your walk with God. "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6)." Our true ministry is not a particular place in life where we feel we are being used by God. Our true ministry is our lives, in general, because we are ministers of the new covenant. Our mission field is everywhere we are located at a given moment. If we are somewhere the Lord is there with us. Jesus said to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)." In other words, it doesn't matter where you go, just go! That is the great thing about being in Christ. He is where we are. And where we are is where He can use us to be a witness for Him and the Gospel. Be blessed.
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