For there seems to be a lot of competition amongst many ministers of God. There is hardly any cohesion. By doing this, could we still be counted as serving God? Should serving God be about how we are seen to be great, or it is about fulfilling and accomplishing God's purpose in us? How are we supposed to go about and deal with this situation?
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This question is the height and depth of the struggles being Ministers for Christ. The struggle to handle the Infinite, Divine, Word of God and to feel the Power of the Anointing as it rest upon your head and shoulders, then to come out of the pulpit as a mere human. It does test the limits of the human psyche. But God.... Jesus gave the best example as He washed His Disciple's feet. "The servant is not greater than the Lord." (John 13:16) This teaches us great lessons in humility. These men were Apostles. They had been sent out by Jesus Christ, to heal the sick, cast out demons, to make the blind see, heal leprosy. Before them was the Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of the Universes, the Bread of Life, the Rock that followed Israel, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Messiah washing their feet. What a lesson in humility! Just when we think we have really done something, like our Brother Job, we have caused the widow's hearts to sing for joy! God in His Infinite Love will send someone to show us we have no humility. We have not taken the very principals that we have pounded into the pulpit and applied them in our own lives. Are we showing the unity of Brotherhood in Christ, and joining the Body of Christ together? Or is our own spiritual pride over the gifts and callings that the Father has given to us(Eph 4:11,12) blinded our eyes to the point that we say to the hands we have no need of you? (1Cor 12:21) In an army there is no room for disunity. Each soldier must do their assignment to the best of their training. Each soldier will have someone over them they are accountable to, they will have someone under them they are responsible for. Are we not in the Lord's Army? If you see your Brother fall, you are responsible for him. First, PRAY for him. Second, Pray again. For Yourself, [that you will stand] Third, Go PRAY WITH him Fourth, PRAY for him again! This is our faithful duty to each other in the LORD's Army. Remember our Motto: "Our greatest battles won while fighting on our knees!" Eph 6:12 Be Blessed Lena
The feeling that; I should dwarf others (ministers of God) is a hegemonic feeling which emanates from pride. Such devilish pride ignites the human instinct of not only wanting to look better than everyone, but God Almighty Himself. This feeling is only self destructive! For we are parts of the same body. Yet one part can't claim more importance than the other because each serves an equally important and unique function (1Corinthians 12:12). The devil was thrown out of heaven for pride of which it is; unfounded superiority and arrogance in substance. When man gave in to the devil in Genesis 3, it meant giving in to the ways and patterns of the devil for which he had been thrown out of heaven. This instinct of humanism and hegemonic vengeance became very strong in each and every human ever to live (except for our Lord Jesus). For the devil had harbored a feeling that he would compete and get ahead of God. After having failed, he seeks to set humans in the same race in which he himself was defeated. It is nothing else but simply self destruction. This feeling is reminiscent of every human. But as ministers of God, more so as Christians, we must get over it. For if we think by competing for the top we are serving God, it is simply self deception. Such a minister only appears to serve God but they are surely serving the devil in substance. Yet God can use us greatly and mightily (Philippians 4:13). We are called differently. Serving is therefore about the fulfillment of God's purpose in one's lifetime. Our satisfaction therefore should not emanate from having been seen to be greater than the rest, but from the fact that we have pretty surpassed our physical limitations. In the Bible, there are Major Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. But there are also Minor Prophets such as; Hosea, Zechariah, Joel, Habakkuk etc. But to use the words; Major and Minor in reference is not to mean one prophesied more than the other in terms of substance, but the volumes of writings differ. Yet all these books of prophesy are treated equally in terms of substance. It is not therefore about the volume covered and to appear to be greater than, for it is about fulfilling the substance of God's purpose in one's life and thereby equally rewarded. On this account therefore, no one is appreciated by God for how much they have covered, but for how far God's purpose has been fulfilled in their lives (whatever the volume). An Usher, Pastor, Elder, Evangelist, Apostle, each is equally important in having the will of God done here on earth. If each of these faithfully stand in their positions, non is to be held in greater or less esteem by the Rewarder who is God. For it is about fulfilling God's purpose in our lives. The carnality in us is what is causing these variances. Yet serving God effectively as we have mentioned above shouldn't be about how greater we appear to others, but how sure we are that we are doing exactly what God purposed us for and doing it faithfully. Usher or Pastor, all are are equally important in the eyes of God, if each stand faithfully in their positions. Let us take a look at these great men of God. Of Moses and Elijah, who is greater than the other? Of Noah and Abraham, who is greater than the other? Of Jeremiah and Isaiah, who is greater than the other? Yet all these are called great men of God, not in the sense that one was greater than the other, but in the sense that each stood steadfast in their calling. For the calling of each of them differed pretty much. Despite both of them being Prophets, how Jeremiah prophesied is no where similar to how Isaiah did prophesy. Do you want to lead others? Serve them (Mark 10:41-43)! Jesus leads by serving to date (John 5:17). He was exemplary to us in every sense of it. He demonstrated this when He washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-17). Even then, many of us practice these things, but we lack the intent of Jesus. NB To serve God should also be to love and obey Him.
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