I was listening to John Eldredge’s “Desire Conference” podcast and he made the point that God never delivered anyone the same way twice.
For years (centuries, in fact) people have been making “how-to” lists for people to be better Christians. This has been going on so long that we as Christians and the Church have developed our own language, dress code, and menu (I’m convinced you’ll find fruit in Jello at a potluck in China.) We have classes and procedures and forms to fill out.

God delivered in a way that was specific to the person and the situation. Moses’ outstretched staff, marching around Jericho and blowing a trumpet. Gideon blew horns too but add in the breaking of Jars and you get a whole new twist on victory. A boy and a slingshot, a body guard in an inferno, and a bald blind bodybuilder.

The point of all of this is that if God wanted us to “live a good life,” he’d have given us a top ten list and leave us to it. If you’ll remember he did that but we didn’t get the point so he perused us to the extreme and sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit to customize an exodus just for us– individually. God wants us to depend on him to show us our path, not a list of techniques. When people say, “A personal relationship with Jesus,” this is what is meant. Not some warm and fuzzy but, “Jesus guide me today, and tomorrow I’ll ask the same.”

In light of this… can/should I ask the question, “What has been effective for you in your ministry?” so I can implement it in my ministry? Or am I to be completely dependent on God’s leading? If so where does that leave us with the whole mentor and student model?

There is a ton here to unpack; do a search in iTunes for the podcast and give it a listen.