MY MINISTRY: is a term that causes my skin to crawl, my anger to perk and revulsion to jump in me. I can hear the wise people "nutting up" when they read this. I recall when I was all into MY MINISTRY. God used "Experiencing God" Bible study to set me straight on that term. I learned that anyone called of God is in partnership with Holy God in any ministry that they participate in. The power is God's through His anointing and the only thing you or I offer is availability and surrender.
My church life became loving and harmonious once I got this truth clear in my mind and heart. I perceive that pride and self adulation is 100% of all conflict issues in church life. I'm sure I have such a strong reaction because initially in God's call on my life I was consumed with being the best, excellent, etc. Knowing me, I had a "holy" tag on all that nasty pride; but it was pride in me nonetheless. Now I understand each of us has destiny in God and no one can change that. We can get in the way with attitudes, disobedience, etc., but no one can stop God working in me for His destiny through me.
I started this series with statements of surrender. Control cannot operate in flesh and sinful ways when I am surrendered totally to Holy God.
C. S. Lewis wrote,
"Christ says, 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.
I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.
No half-measures are any good. I don't want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out.
Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires that you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked...the whole outfit.
I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will you Myself; my own will shall become yours."
A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works, Edited by Patricia S. Klein (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2003) 219.
Control......God wants you and me to surrender control. I remember when God brought me to the place where He challenged me to surrender myself totally to Him. I had acknowledged Him as Lord, and He had come into my life and I had given Him certain parts, but I was still in control. Then a crisis came internally in me. Thank God for mighty mentors that wouldn't give in to me fighting dying to self. Finally I came to full surrender to Christ. He holds my controls....hallelujah.
Mike Breaux of Willow Creek, "Jesus was an important part of my life, but He was like one spoke of a wheel. There were other spokes too...my ministry, my career, my marriage, my children, my love of sports. But although He was one of the important spokes, I was the hub. Then during a time when I was on a retreat by myself, He confronted me and said, 'Mike, I don't want to just be a spoke. I want to be the hub. I want to be at the center of everything you are and do. Will you turn your life over to Me in such a way that I'm the hub?'"
Is control an issue for you? Does surrender all make sense as the answer to controlling or being controlled to you?
5 comments:
Oops - I say "my ministry." It is such a common term now, I never thought about it. It is my ministry for God....BUT REALLY it is God's ministry for me, isn't it Kay? WOW! Great writing. You just opening my mind some more.
Well said. I really would like many to read and ponder the "My Ministry" stuff.
Wow. That is so true. Usually that term isn't accompanied by a great deal of humility. Actually, zero humility or submission can go into someone who actually thinks a ministry is theirs.
And even worse, we promote such hogwash by proping people by saying, "Your Ministry"
David
www.redletterbelievers.com
Thank you for these posts! They speak to me.
yes girl!! I hate that phrase too!! Amen Kay!!
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