Reflection Paper

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Recommended: What is the importance of prayer in our life in simple words

The Scripture that calls me to the ministry apart for being a church member is 1 Samuel 16:1-13. More precisely verse seven, which states, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (King James Version, 1 Sam. 16:7). After reading this, God destroyed any excuse of not answering the call of God in my life. This Scripture tells me God does not emphasize the outward abilities, strengths, appearances, or social status, but the Lord focuses on the heart. My Lord first reached out to me on February 14, 2000; when God visited me, this was my first experience …show more content…

If my grandfather was correct, then I needed a conversion. The Sunday after my 22nd birthday, I went to church and encountered God there. Then I began acting and living the exact opposite I did before accepting Christ. I knew clearly what my call was when I started a relationship with Christ: I was called to be a servant. Since then, Christianity has been a fight "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). It is also a call to love, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength,” (Mark 12:30), and “Love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). While in the service, I deployed to Iraq, and it was here that God first dealt with me to leave the military and start college. However, I was terrified; I had not saved any money. Therefore, I pleaded with God to allow me to stay in and become a Chaplain’s Assistant so that I could serve Him in the military.
After being sent to Chaplain Assistant School in 2007, I began serving God and the American Soldier. Nonetheless, a dire situation occurred, and I lost my trust of the Army. Therefore, in December 2007, I decided it was time to separate from the military, which required me to find out who I was separate from the Army. I retired in June 2009 and needed to adapt to civilian. …show more content…

I have made the decision to allow God to take the lead as I devote my life to answering His call. I do not take this decision lightly, “It deals with eternal matters: The Word of God and the souls of men and women” (Drury 8). The ministry deals with the everlasting decisions of the heart and weighs those decisions of the individual based on the Word of God. I currently serve as an Intern Associate Pastor, Secretary of the Administrative Board, and Adult Sunday School teacher at the Payette United Methodist Church. Within this realm, I help develop the body of Christ to reach the community, realize the value of relationships, understand the importance of their role within the church, their individual gifts, grasp a better understanding of the Word of God, and develop a closer relationship with God and His people. The phrase God has been using to deal with me on how to work in Payette and work on myself is: “I am not to be an island unto myself, we are not an island unto ourselves.” This phrase focuses on the importance of lasting relationships; none of us made it where we are by ourselves. There are two relationships the Bible focuses on our relationship with God and our relationships with our

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