Disciples ask Father for trusted others who will help us become more like Him. In order for that to happen we need to confront areas that do not yet fully reflect the glory of God. Many people are insecure and would rather simply to be praised and flattered and patted on the back.
Disciples pray, show me where I can improve. Help me to change. I want to be conformed into the Image of Jesus. Criticism is not very helpful to the disciple. It comes as a put down or judgement against the person. I does nothing to empower or encourage someone to become better because it fails to show how to change. It just says, "you are wrong" "you said that wrong", "you are doing that bad", "you need to do better" Correction shows us ways to live differently. Correction is the heart of Discipleship.
Only iron sharpens iron. Flattery can only fill our pillows with feathers. Then we roll over and slumber some more.
Monday, July 15, 2013
How much of a difference can we make?
My desire is simply that God is glorified and what we do in ministry looks more like heaven rather than hell. If our ministry leads to praise, worship and victory in Jesus, then we have done our ministry well. If people know the God who supplies 'more than enough', or 'above and beyond all we can ask or think' then, those whom we are ministering among have gained a great revelation that leads to a greater faith-filled relationship with Him.
On the other hand, if our ministry leads to bitterness and pain and all we can say is "well, don't blame me, I DID THE BEST I COULD WITH WHAT I HAD" then that sounds like we have settled for that mediocre ministry life. We hear this kind comment from the folks who were given talents to invest but either buried them or they failed to make much of an increase, let alone effectively multiplied what was entrusted them with by the Father. People wo see God as hard or having hard to reach standards really have not seen God clearly. And the fact is if we don't see Him clearly we can't reveal him clearly to the world around us. Instead we reveal a God who is weak and small and brings pain rather than blessing. And people then usually live their life as spiritual orphans, who can only seem to try to eek out living in this life as beggars, and low-level survivors.
God has so much more for us but we must come close to Him to see Him more fully.
On the other hand, if our ministry leads to bitterness and pain and all we can say is "well, don't blame me, I DID THE BEST I COULD WITH WHAT I HAD" then that sounds like we have settled for that mediocre ministry life. We hear this kind comment from the folks who were given talents to invest but either buried them or they failed to make much of an increase, let alone effectively multiplied what was entrusted them with by the Father. People wo see God as hard or having hard to reach standards really have not seen God clearly. And the fact is if we don't see Him clearly we can't reveal him clearly to the world around us. Instead we reveal a God who is weak and small and brings pain rather than blessing. And people then usually live their life as spiritual orphans, who can only seem to try to eek out living in this life as beggars, and low-level survivors.
God has so much more for us but we must come close to Him to see Him more fully.
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