Thicken Up!

Being in the ministry my whole life I was raised to have thick skin.  I think this is why so many ministers’ children go the wrong direction.  Children must be taught to deal with criticism, rumors, and peer pressure.   Both of my parents were very instrument in helping my sister and me learn how to deal with others judgements and disapproval.

Me and My Mom, Annie Halvorson, a few years ago

My parents are used in special gifts from God.  My mom has this amazing flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit with a prophetic anointing.  If you don’t know what that is, let me tell you, you are missing out.  The Holy Spirit is so cool, and the way God uses my mom is truly unique.  

I think I was 12, standing in church, watching my mom, and a friend said to me, “You should be embarrassed at how your mom is acting.”  Oh, I was heart broken.  I went home and cried, my mom was heart broken.  She cried and prayed about it.  Her final response to me was, “do you want me to do the work of the Holy Spirit or only the things your friends approve of?”  I knew she had to do the work of the Holy Spirit.  I had to thicken my skin.  

I had to come to understand at a very early age that you can’t please everybody all of the time, in fact, you may not even be able to please anyone anytime.  The person you have to please is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Those I come into contact with now, who don’t appreciate the Christian lifestyle know where I stand, and we have an agreement, I will be myself, and they can go sit at the kids’ table.  (that was a joke)  I will be myself, I will not shove religion down their throats, I will not apologize for what I believe, how I believe it, or how I act because of it. 

I had to thicken up at an early age.  I chose the ministry, too, so being on the platform gives me a target – bam!  Right there!  When that target gets shot at, yep, it still hurts, yep, it makes me want to retreat, yep, all of the things that you would think of including making me want to quit.  But I have to do the will of the One who sent me.

Ronda, my sister and me,
"wearing our targets"

Sticks and stones do break my bones and words do hurt me.   As an adult, I too flow with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as does my sister, and my niece, and my son.   I know that it is not easy to get up in front a bunch of people and depend on what God is telling you to tell someone else.  It can be very scary, people think you are nuts, or are afraid of you, but we do it, because we are called.

You may be going to a holiday gathering where the Holy Spirit isn’t welcome.  Well, I have news for you.  The Holy Spirit is inside of you, and where ever you go, HS goes with you.  I’ve had to stand my ground at gatherings of people and defend my faith.   Everyone knows it’s not polite to talk about religion and politics.  Well, I am my religion.  My lifestyle is defined by my relationship with Jesus Christ, so if this individual has a problem with Jesus, then there’s a problem with me, too.

My Dad ministering to a family
using the gifts of the Holy Spirit

In the Gospels there is a story of Jesus.  He was ministering in or near his home town.  His family – including his mother – wanted him to stop having these enormous meetings, and come home and do his duty or whatever at home.  The people said, “hey Jesus, your family is calling for you.”  Jesus replied, “Who is my family?  My family are those who hear and do the works of God.” (Matthew 12, Mark 3)

When I was looking at these verses I discovered that right after this incident, Jesus then started telling the story of the sower.  The “planter” dropped seed on stony, thorny and good ground.  The stony ground, representing people who hear but have no root “when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.” (Mark 4:17)

Jesus wants us to be able to stand on our own two feet and take whatever gets thrown at us.  Usually the things that sting the most are from those we love the most. But by thickening up in His word, by prayer, reading, and discussion with others, you will be able to stand and not “fall away.”

Do you want the gifts and callings of God evident in your life?  You’d better thicken up that skin because I can guarantee you that you will be shot at.  You will have a target on you, and fiery darts will come, but God is greater than any criticism, judgement, rumor, disapproval or peer pressure.

Oh, and my friend from when we were 12, she still attends our church, and she prays that God will use my mom to give her a Word or her family.

K