28 Jul Ezer in Action

“We’re only here for a limited time.  We need to serve God with that time.”

As Mary reflected on the last few years of her life, an overarching theme emerged:  intentional influence through obedience.  We must be intentional as we live out our calling to be ezers because left to our own human nature we will corrupt the core callings God placed within us.  We must realize that we are influencing people around us everyday, whether we intend to or not.  We must be obedient to what God calls us to wherever He places us.

It is easy for single women to hear the call to invite, nurture, and partner, and immediately pass that off as a calling exclusive to marriage, shirking the responsibility God has given us.  However, whether married or single, the call to be an ezer is much larger than marriage.  The calling is about living our lives as image-bearers of God, the perfect Ezer.

For Mary, that calling has taken shape in different ways in her life.   The call to overseas missions began to tug on her heart years before she would ever board a plane.  Before being able to partner in God’s work overseas, she first would go through a time of preparation.  That preparation felt only like waiting at times, but in retrospect Mary was learning valuable lessons in partnering with the church, with mission agencies and teams, and with her brothers and sisters in Christ.

She could have ignored the lessons God was teaching her during this time, cherishing her independence and feeding her autonomy as a single woman.  God was at work in her heart, though, growing and shaping her into His image – the image of an ezer.  It was her obedience in those years of preparation that enabled her ministry overseas to be impactful and fruitful.

Currently, God is teaching her how to invite, nurture, and partner as a leader in the workplace.  She has been given the opportunity to lead four other women, and this environment has proven to be both challenging and rewarding.  As a leader, she is required to enforce policies and rules.  As an ezer, she is called to listen, engage, and help point others toward Christ.

When faced with a recent conflict – the need to confront an employee about a policy violation and moral failure – Mary seized the opportunity to approach discipline differently.  Instead of directly confronting and immediately disciplining the employee, she allowed her to explain her actions.  Because Mary was intentionally inviting in this way, the woman told her the truth about the incident and offered true remorse for her actions.  What could have been a very difficult and possibly relationally damaging conversation turned out to be a fruitful exchange leading to growth.

Whether we are married or single, God calls us to be ezers.  This doesn’t happen naturally, though.  The natural response to our core calling is corruption.  We must be intentional in our efforts to invite, nurture, and partner.  God has called us to live intentionally as His image-bearers.  Obedience in this brings joy to Him and fulfillment to us.

~Women’s Ministry Team