The Story of Plumb Line Ministry

by JoAnn Dyer, FaithIssues

Do you believe that every word in the Bible is true? I do. Not that I walk in that truth every day; no way. Recently, for instance, someone said to me, “You’re not perfect.” Boy, do I agree with that. None of us are perfect.  But, I’m closer than I was yesterday.

I’ve lived more than six decades; long enough to see how most of us have begun to water down Biblical principles. It is done for various reasons. Not the least of which is our unwillingness to fracture or lose relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and dare I say it?  Other Christians! In fact, we don’t want to call anyone on anything, nor do we want anyone to point to our messes. So, you can imagine what I thought, felt, argued, and disputed when the Lord showed me Plumb Line Ministry.

My first thought was, “What’s a plumb line?” I discovered that a plumb line is a carpenter’s tool, a simple weight attached to a line for determining the exactness of a vertical line.  Epiphany!  Isn’t that what it’s all about?  Aren’t we supposed to align our lives to a perfectly vertical line? Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, victoriously endured persecution and temptation so that His life could be the Plumb Line for everyone.

If we choose to remain out of alignment, the Plumb Line assures us that God bears long, but he will not bear always with a provoking people.

Plumb Line Ministry is God’s blueprint for my life’s work.  Primarily I’m to keep my heart and life aligned with His Word, while inviting others to join me on this journey of transformation! This ministry is certainly not unique in this regard. This template was given to all of us.

Here, I would love to tell you that when God showed me the Plumb Line blueprint, I said “Yes, Lord,” then wrote my letter of resignation from my job and began successfully doing full time ministry. But, none of that happened. Instead, I continued to work and move cautiously around the periphery of the ministry until 2005.
 
My excuses for my disobedience were numerous and varied. I thought, “Oh, no, there’s no way that I can even approach my husband about quitting my job.” More than that, this job paid more money than I had ever made.  Furthermore, I loved the challenges of work, always have.
 
This is the major piece I missed: When the Lord gives instruction; He has already prepared hearts, opened doors, altered conditions, and made provision.
 
In trying to recall a time when I did not have an unrelenting passion of one kind or another, I found that I could not. These passions have always involved a burning desire to affect lives. They have often created an almost giddy excitement that others viewed with either raised or furrowed brows. You’ve seen the look.
   
Upon first hearing of Plumb Line Ministry, those who didn’t give me ‘the look’ immediately began offering ‘suggestions’ to change it — make it better somehow. I am always tempted to ask, “Do you mean better than the vision God laid out, better than His blueprint?” I rarely incorporated that advice long term, because it did not fit me. More importantly, it did not line up with the vision God gave me.
     
Plumb Line Ministry mentors women toward genuine life change, but, only if they want to make the change.

There are ministries that chase, conjole, and plead with women to change.  Plumb Line is not one of them.  We simply pray, model, discuss. and teach.  The decision-making has to come from the hearts and minds of the individual women. This distinction is why the word empower is rarely used when talking about Plumb Line.  Like motivation, empowerment springs from the individual. It is not something that can come from another person.
 
Plumb Line’s Heartbeat is to touch women’s lives in ways that are transformational, encouraging them to follow Jesus’ example; train them to minister to others.
 
Plumb Line Ministry seeks to excite, transform, and attract tomorrow’s leaders by providing issues-focused options designed to speak to the cultural demands of the day.
 
Loosely paraphrased, Charles Spurgeon said: “If there is anything else that you can do, anything at all, do that.  But, if ministry is the only option that will satisfy you then consider it.”

God has called us to influence the church and the culture, not the other way around.   
 
JoAnn Dye lives in Illinois with her husband of 34 years. She and Curt are the parents of two adult sons and eight grandchildren. After forty-five years in corporate America, Dye began devoting her energies to the development of Plumb Line Ministry, the blueprint God had in mind for her from the beginning of time. Plumb Line Ministry teaches, trains, and supports females who, for any number of reasons, lost their bearings somewhere along the way. In the process they lost their hope, and forgot or never knew, who they were.

© 2012 Plum Line Ministry