Worthy and Loved

“but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭42‬ ‭

Today’s blog post is by Shalom Elliott, one of our student leaders and a core part of “the Fellowship” for the last two years. It has been an honor to serve with her, as well as all of the student leaders that have been a part of the Fellowship over the years. I may have shed a few tears as I read this for the first time!

-B

Beginnings and Working Hard

Two years ago, after Brian had asked me to consider being a part of his international student ministry, I joined The Fellowship. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I remember being excited about it and telling myself to serve the best I possibly could. Now two years have passed and I realized that what I did was more than just serve in a ministry. I grew in my faith and as a person. God placed me in this role at the right time not only to help The Fellowship, but to help me.

The Fellowship taught me that I was worthy and loved even before I started “working” for the Kingdom.

A huge part of my testimony is that I grew up a missionary kid. There is something unique about missionary kids, but something I feel is deeply ingrained in me also just has to do with my personality. I am a perfectionist in many ways. In my beginning journey in The Fellowship, I considered my role an honour and a privilege.

I invited as many students as possible and I tried answering every question in our leadership devotional meetings correctly. I knew the gospel presentation front and back. I knew how to be kind, warm, and welcoming. Many of these things flowed naturally, even methodologically, from me. I served, and I think I served well. However, I was doing all of this as a Martha, not a Mary, and I didn't even know I was doing that.

Appalled and Confused

Most of the growing I mentioned happened in our leadership team devotional meetings. I remember being appalled and confused as we sat over coffee when Brian shared his experience and philosophies in ministry. A lot of what he shared was foreign to me.

Up to that point in my life, I had learned that I had to serve with all my heart and to try as much as possible to reach others for the kingdom. Of course Brian believed this, too. But his methods were different than what I was used to. He was ok sitting back and letting God take control of a situation. He was ok resting with the fact that God had all things under control, and that all it takes is to trust in Him.

to sit with and trust and rest in Jesus is what is treasured and important. Serving is good and honorable, but to be in awe of the teacher is where life is.

On the other hand, I had mistakenly learned from my childhood experiences that to strive and to gain as many souls as possible was the best thing to do. Brian had learned that to trust God’s plan was the best thing to do. However uncomfortable it may be to sit back and do nothing, most of the time it was the right thing to do. Not only as a servant, but as a child. Not a Martha, but a Mary. To sit with and trust and rest in Jesus is what is treasured and important. Serving is good and honorable, but to be in awe of the teacher is where life is.

Worthy and Loved

Being at the Fellowship taught me that I was worthy and loved even before I started “working” for the Kingdom. That my worth is not in how many souls I reach or how many lives I touch or even in how many good things I do. My worth is from God and God alone.

That is my 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard.” I have seen and I have heard and have experienced fellowship with Christ and it is far better than any manufactured feeling from strife. I think God would have shown me this eventually at some point in my life, but I am so thankful that it was during college, in Stillwater, and through The Fellowship.

(As a disclaimer, I have no regret for my missionary kid experience. I had a wonderful childhood that I would not trade for anything else)

-Shalom

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This meant so much to me to read these words from Shalom. It has been a privilege to watch her grow over the past years, and an honor to be able to play even a small role in that growth. Our philosophy at the Fellowship is encapsulated in 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard we declare also to you, so that your fellowship may be with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

We start everything with our own relationship with the Lord, making sense of His work in our lives…where we have experienced and are experiencing grace, healing, restoration, renewal, and love. From that inner place, we choose to do the hard work of walking in fellowship with others who are also making sense of their own journeys with Christ. “Evangelism” then becomes an organic act of inviting others into that fellowship.

What is God doing in your life?

Who are you sharing that with?

In Him and for Him,

Brian