TLRMinistries

In light of the recent conversations coming out of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding women in ministry, I feel led to say something.

Most people know that I do not speak on every issue. In fact, there are many times when I remain silent because I am praying, listening, and interceding. If I do not feel released to speak, I don't. But on this, I will say this. One of the most dangerous things we can do is take our traditions, preferences, and interpretations and speak of them as though God said them. The same Bible that records Paul's words also tells us about Deborah, Huldah, Priscilla, Phoebe, and the women who first proclaimed that Christ had risen from the dead. Before a preacher ever stood in a pulpit, God entrusted a woman to carry the Savior into the world.

As for me, I am grateful that my calling was never determined by a denomination, a committee, or the opinions of people. My calling was settled the night God visited me and spoke to me. To this day, it remains the first and only time I have heard the audible voice of God, and it was God who called me to preach. Because of that, I have never spent much time debating whether I am called. I know what happened. I know what I heard. I have also never felt the need to chase platforms, fight for a seat at someone's table, or work my way into anyone's circle. Wherever God wants me to be, God knows how to get me there. The same God who called me is more than capable of opening the right doors. My prayer is that we spend less time trying to determine who God can use and more time seeking to hear God's voice for ourselves. A revelation from God will settle things that arguments never can.