Many potential volunteers see the incredible stories of babies saved and people who are coming for an abortion instead turning and submitting their lives to Jesus. These are amazing moments, and we always try to report them because they encourage us and others to be involved in this ministry.
All of us want to be a hero for Christ, at least all of us who love the Lord. So what happens when a new volunteer begins serving as a sidewalk counselor and weeks, if not months, go by without directly seeing a saved baby?
I will tell you what happens. People fall away.
What is often not told in those enthralling stories is what is happening behind the scenes in the lives of those people who are telling the stories of victory. This is probably true in almost every story of victory in the Lord. There have often been years of sacrifice and struggle that lead to where that person is now able to claim victory.
Let’s be real: Everyone wants to share in the glory but very few people actually desire the sacrifice involved. Since our podcast is focused on sidewalk counseling, I’m going to give a brief taste of what is involved in being a successful sidewalk counselor.
Specific commitment
Every great sidewalk counselor that I know is willing to make a specific commitment to a specific day and time on a regular basis. They schedule their vacation time around that commitment whenever possible. The only way that someone can do that is if they understand at the crux of that commitment is a desire to serve the Lord.
People who tell me, “I will be there when I can” will usually come once or twice, and then we never see them again. Those unwilling to commit to a regular day and time to serve are usually, in my experience, people who have been caught up in the moment of the excitement of a thrilling story; however, in the daily difficulty of sidewalk ministry, when results are not always evident or tangible, they will quickly fall away.
Daily sacrificial preparation
Almost every great leader and high achiever is someone who gets up early. I heard that in a podcast recently and while I have not done the research to prove that, it actually is my experience. The intentional rising early affords preparation that others may never see or know about.
In my case, I try to get up at 5 a.m. (or even earlier) every morning including Sunday. In those two or three hours before anyone else gets up and also before I have to leave for ministry, I spend that time with the Lord. I always start off with my Bible study and reading and prayer. I always take a long walk while praying or thinking over ministry issues and giving them to the Lord. That exercise oxygenates my brain and prepares my body for what is often grueling physical endurance. Standing on a sidewalk in all kinds of bitter weather for three to four hours at a time is not easy. We need ongoing spiritual and physical preparation.
Self discipline
Self discipline does not just appear miraculously. It requires conscious work and sacrifice. There are things that sometimes we have to give up to prevent late nights that result in us waking up too late to be adequately prepared to serve or too tired to serve. For me, if I sleep in any day, it affects my whole week of being able to be up and fully prepared spiritually for service. So even on days I don’t have to be up early, my body has been trained to go to bed early and get up early.
Willingness to serve without seeing results
All of us in sidewalk ministry know that ultimately we are not responsible for the results. That is God’s work. But we want to see babies saved and souls come to the Lord. In all honesty, that will not happen all the time or even regularly. Good sidewalk counselors know that, and the ones that endure year after year are the ones that understand that God has the victory the moment we step on the sidewalk. Therefore, we can never neglect being on that sidewalk when we have committed to being there. I think every good sidewalk counselor has the mindset that their presence alone being there glorifies God.
Willingness to suffer
Good sidewalk counselors are willing to stand in unbearable heat and cold, and unrelenting rain … usually without complaint. To be a faithful servant in such a difficult ministry, one has to expect and accept that suffering will be a part of it.
Physical suffering is only part of the suffering I am talking about. The emotional suffering can be intense as we watch women stream into an abortion center and some days see not a single saved baby. The spiritual suffering from spiritual attack can also be immense. I really know very few great sidewalk counselors who have not suffered greatly as well; in addition, I have seen many fall away as a result of suffering.
For me, the suffering was unbearable at times, but I loved God so much, and hated Satan so much, that I knew I could not give up. This may keep many people from sidewalk counseling, but I do not think it is good or fair to try to present it as a series of glorious moments without mentioning that there is a great price to pay. Our model, of course, is Jesus.
Intentional abiding in the Lord and devotion to His Word
You cannot give what you do not have. The most important thing that Sidewalk Counselor can give to the moms intent on abortion is a refocus or new focus on Jesus. Without that, there will be no ultimate victory for anyone.
Every great Sidewalk Counselor knows that. They know that they must spend intentional time every single day in the Lord. This means not only prayer, not only obeying Jesus, but intentional reading and grappling with the Word. Bible study is essential.
We cannot convey to abortion-determined women what is the most critical deterrent, which is the desire to trust and follow Jesus, unless we ourselves know Jesus intimately through His Word. If we want women to know the only source of hope and help on earth, we must know Him ourselves as well as we possibly can. The Word is power, and if we do not have the Word stored in our heart we will not be able to share it well with others. We will lose the most effective tool we have.
This takes time as well as all of the sacrifices already listed. No one else may see that sacrifice, but it has to be present in everyone who wants to serve the Lord to the best of their ability.
Reframe rejection
None of us love rejection. Rejection hurts. However rejection is an absolute given if you are involved in sidewalk counseling. You will be taunted and even threatened by the moms streaming in, the pro-abortion crowd, and even sometimes fellow believers who hate the fact that you are there on the sidewalk.
Rejection needs to be seen through a new lens. First of all, every great sidewalk counselor has indeed endured intense rejection for most of their time serving on the sidewalk. Instead of looking at it as an assault on who they are, they need to look at it as a badge of honor. There is no doubt that anyone faithfully serving Jesus and proclaiming His truths will be rejected. There will be some who will listen, but look at Jesus Himself. The multitude turned from Him. Even His faithful followers, most notably Peter, turned from Him at the critical moment.
Great sidewalk counselors know they will be rejected as they have been continually in the past. They can say with absolute sincerity and truth that if they are not being rejected, they are probably not proclaiming Jesus fully. They face rejection with courage and joy, knowing they are in good company with their Lord and Savior who was despised among men yet ultimately saved all who would come to Him.
Summary
Everyone wants the glory, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to most optimally serve God. Serving God well could honestly mean never having public moments of glory – in fact, God will never share His glory with any man or woman. The best servant of the Lord knows that the applause of heaven is all he or she is seeking and the rewards are eternal.W
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