Depending on His Wisdom

Receiving God's abundant grace.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility? Being a leader is far from easy but if God called you to it He won't lead you astray. He wants to guide you through every situation you will face in life. Aaron Wardlaw shares his testimony about personal obstacles he overcame during outreach while being a small group leader.  

I was a staff person for SST this summer. SST International is YWAM Tyler's Discipleship and Missions Training for teens. Our role was to walk alongside the teenagers who came for discipleship as they learned to walk with the Lord in faith and pursue a relationship with Jesus.

We accomplished this through small groups, meeting one-on-one, praying, and processing with them, and holding them accountable to what they learned. I had the privilege of leading five young men in a small group. It brought me great joy to watch them grow in their faith, experiencing spiritual breakthroughs while discovering who God is, and their own identity in Him.

I prayed that the Lord would give me His heart for them, and He did. I did not realize that when God gave me His heart for them it would include their burdens, real-life struggles and griefs from their pasts. This challenged me because I realized I could not spiritually meet these teenagers in my own strength and understanding.

 

When I was also confronted with my own selfishness and old insecurities from when I was a teenager⏤ which I thought were long gone and forgotten⏤I quickly became overwhelmed. At times I felt my efforts to help them were in vain, yet I recognized their burdens were not for me to bear.

How could it be?

I’m not even capable of bearing my own burdens. Everything changed when I chose toGroup of students taking a picture outside underneath the SST logo. rely on the Lord in prayer. It was when I turned to the Lord in prayer and confessed my desperate need for Him, that I was able to receive His abundant grace to carry on. And it was when I persistently walked with my guys in prayer that I saw them grow as the Lord changed their hearts!

By the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to get over myself and serve these teenagers in love. One of the guys I mentored went from not wanting to be at SSTs, he only came because of his parents, to sharing the Gospel in joy with almost everyone he encountered on our Dallas outreach! In my experience of staffing SSTs, I learned about God’s love, grace, and power toward us when we choose to put others before ourselves.

No matter where you come from or what you do for a living, we are all created to walk out our lives with God! Aaron's testimony isn't just his experience. His story relates to all of us. Learning to trust takes time, so give yourself some grace and don't give up. It is in our nature to take control. The Bible is filled with examples of moments where leaders would do things with their own strength and fail every single time. Let's learn from their mistakes.

Despite how you think or feel let all your decisions be guided by the Lord and you will witness Him move in miraculous ways.

New call-to-action

Aaron Wardlaw

Written by Aaron Wardlaw

My name is Aaron Wardlaw. I’m 23 years old from DFW Texas. I spent this past year with YWAM doing a DTS and SOE. I can say with confidence that the Lord met me in these schools! For me, true relationship with Him started when I finally decided to surrender myself to God and devote a season to Him. Now, I delight in seeking the Lord because I have experienced His great love for me. It has become my foundation, and on it I will continue to learn to surrender, trust in God, and allow Him to be Lord over every area of my life.

3 min read

Lessons Learned at YWAM Tyler Continue to Shape My Life

As I awoke again to the sound of the sea surging on the rocks, the scream of the gulls, and the beautiful vista fanning...

1 min read

Helping Victims of the Morocco Earthquake

On September 8th, a 6.8 earthquake killed over 2900 people and left many thousands homeless. According to multiple...

2 min read

What I Didn't Expecting During My YWAM DTS

With tears in my eyes, I pulled down the door of the Budget rental truck, said goodbye to my apartment, and heard God...

3 min read

Trusting God To Make A Way

Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is tell you to seek Jesus for yourself. In reality, as Christians, we...
2 min read

Hope for Maui Amid the Fire

As news spread across America about the wildfires in Maui, we have been postured in prayer for our friends and family...

2 min read

Spiritual Leadership for the Next Generation

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility? Being a leader is far from easy but if God called you to...

2 min read

All or Nothing

Do you remember the day Jesus became real to you?

When I hear the lyrics to "When You Walk Into The Room" play...

3 min read

I Am Not Disqualified.

It is well with my soul . . . Really?

I’ve heard these words many times. Something about them stands out to me, but can...

2 min read

Overcoming Lies through Discipleship

I never thought I’d experience the freedom that I so desperately prayed for when I was younger. Believing every lie the...

2 min read

Fear Doesn't Have To Derail You From Fulfilling Your Purpose

Is God calling you to step out in faith and apply for a Discipleship Training School (DTS), but fear keeps kicking you...

3 min read

Nana Taught Me Almost Everything About Jesus

Is it just me, or does every generation go through a season of life believing they know it all? Even the Apostle Paul...

2 min read

Trusting God for the Impossible

With little to no money towards her outreach, Emma Hamlin experiences a financial miracle. There is freedom that comes...