This past year I have had the opportunity to serve as the student body chaplain at FLBC. Some of my responsibilities have been scheduling and leading student-led devotions, leading prayer meetings, and working with the student council to set up ministry opportunities for the student body to participate in.  

God has used this role to help me grow more as a spiritual leader. These experiences have helped me put my confidence in Christ’s work in me through the Holy Spirit instead of relying on my own abilities. For example, I was asked to lead a short devotional during a school event. I do not like speaking in front of big crowds, so I was very nervous about speaking in front of all those people. I really had to give all my anxiety of public speaking to Christ and let Him work in me, knowing that He would equip me with the words to say. I knew it was not about my performance but about what God wanted to communicate to those people through me—it was all for His glory.  

When I put my confidence in Him, I know that no matter what, He will use me. A verse that has helped me focus on Christ’s work in me is Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” As Christians we are supposed to walk in the confidence we can have in Christ and rely on Him in all circumstances.  

During my time as chaplain, I have also experienced the truth found in Hebrews 12:11, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” I have gone through some growing pains this year. I have had to learn how to give my failures to Christ. When I fail, I tend to beat myself up and try to fix it on my own. This is because I have struggled at times to see God’s faithfulness to me through the fruit of His work in me. This has resulted in times of frustration. I have learned that I don’t always get to see the fruit, especially right away. But over time God has blessed me and has shown me His work by using me to plant seeds for Him. 

I do not always see what God does through my failures, but I have put my trust in knowing He has a plan for everything. This has helped me grow closer to God and continue to trust in Him more, knowing that His steadfast love endures forever.  

I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity to practice spiritual leadership, and I look forward to seeing how God uses this experience to help prepare me for being the spiritual leader for my future family, as a leader within the church body, and in whatever vocation God will call me to moving forward. I know that when I have doubts in my abilities, I can let Christ take over and use me to bring about His perfect and glorious plan despite my failures.

Soren Grotberg [FLBC first-year student] is from Valley City, ND

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