Day 2, Session 1c – Leveraging Your Past (Wess Stafford)
Wess is Pres. And CEO of Compassion Intl.
How do we leverage the pain and hurts in our lives for ministry?
They are catalysts for integrity and passion.
His passion for children comes from his own painful story. He received his calling, his mission at the darkest moment of his life at the age of 10. He was tortured at the missionary kids boarding school he spent 9 months a year at in Africa when he was a child.
“There were a million ways to get a beating in that place…” Wherever evil reigns unchecked, sexual abuse is a favorite tool of Satan.
Wess is telling a very painful story of abuse and torture. Get his autobiography here.
How has this affected his leadership?
Satan intended it for evil, but God redeemed it and leveraged it for good.
What is your cause?
What do you lead?
Does it move you?
Does it bring you to tears?
Nothing is wasted; everything can be redeemed.
Homework assignment: Spend 30 seconds in front of the mirror and ask, “Who is this person I’m looking at? What are you all about? Where are you going?”
“If you don’t forgive, you’re allowing your offenders to live rent free in your heart.”
“You took yesterday – YOU CANNOT HAVE TOMORROW. Get out – I forgive you.”
Unforgiveness is an open invitation to bondage in your life.
“My prayer is that as he wipes the tears from my eyes that he will also have to wipe the sweat from my brow!”
