Hi, I am Ana Werner with Ana Werner Ministries and I want to welcome you to God Today. This morning I want to talk to you about marriage. But, in a different way that you probably haven’t heard of before. That is marriage to your work or ministry. Did you know you are not married to your work or ministry? Someone actually said that to me one time. It really helped me. I hope it helps you.
This morning I want to share with you. First, let me just share a scripture. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heavily as for the Lord, rather than men.” What we do for God, obviously we will want to give our absolute best. Our first fruits. We want to give Him our hardest work. We want to work for Him with excellence in our heart. I see that often, and I am speaking from my personal journey, often we can get wrapped up in working for the love of the Lord.
One time I had an encounter with God where, you know, I went into an encounter and I saw myself and I was in the throne room. When I was there, I had prayed to go into the throne room. “God, take me to the throne room.” I had heard of other people going and I had been praying for a long time. Finally, when I got there, I was crying. I thought, “Someday, when I go there, I am just going to ask God for these things and whatever.” It wasn’t like that. I got there and the presence of God was so thick and I just fell on the floor and was crying and worshipping on my feet. As a side note, every time I have been back, that is how it is every time.
But then Jesus came to me. I remember I looked at Him and I said, “Jesus, Jesus, I wish I was doing more for you right now. I am so sorry I am not doing enough.” I said that because I was in a really busy season of my life. I wanted to do all these things in ministry, but I just wasn’t able to keep up. He looked at me and said, “Ana. Stop.” He paused and said, “Ana, stop. Don’t bring a performance spirit into my relationship with you.” That was the ned of the vision. But, I realized in that moment that sometimes, especially if you are like me and you are in ministry, or whatever you do actually. We can get our identity so wrapped up in what we do for the Lord that we forget that first and foremost we are His children and He loves us. That is simple Gospel, right? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son.” Not for God to love what you do, that He gave His only son for you. That is not what it says in the Bible. It says, “For God so loved you that He gave His own son.”
Independent of what you do. Independent from whatever your work is. God absolutely loves you.
I want to pray for you. If you feel like you can relate to this message, remind you that you are not married to your work or your ministry. In Jesus’ name, I pray for myself and those watching this right now. I break this performance spirit that so often wraps around our identities. I come against that by the blood of the Lamb. I thank you, Jesus, that who the Son sets free is free indeed. I declare right now that you are free from performance. God loves you just how you are. Father, I thank you that just as we are, God, we can come before you like children and you love us. We don’t have to have it all perfect. We don’t have to be performed to get your love, God. We can freely accept and receive. Jesus, would you just come now and pour your love. Refresh us, myself included, with your love today.