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I n t e g r i t y! ...truth, honesty, ethics,
and solid faith. We are all called by God to be ministers full time, even if we have to
work a secular job. Do you know the honor God has given you to be His child and part of a
royal priesthood? Let me share a little of how I feel... How can I explain the joy of
being called in the Ministry? To know that God has chosen you to proclaim His Word to the
world is almost overwhelming. The feeling is almost paradoxical though, for your flesh
wants to well up with pride and self importance, yet both of these feelings are contrary
to being a successful Christian. Of all the problems Pastors face, this is one of the
hardest. On one hand you have to completely die to yourself and be a humble servant, and
on the other you feel God's power flow through you and experience His inspiration and
begin to feel like God uses you because you are special. This is where pride sneaks in and
your head begins to swell. It is extremely difficult to manage this sense of importance
and power - and this is the great paradox of being used by God - for God to work through
you and anoint your words, you have to completely die to self and have the humility to
know that it is not you who lives but Christ living and working through you. When you are
in this position God pours out His blessing on your life and the ministry He is using you
in, but as He blesses and uses you, you begin to lift yourself up and believe the power
and success is yours because you are special. God must then humble you before He can
continue working through you, and in being humbled you realize again that it is not your
greatness that makes you successful in life but Gods greatness flowing through you. It is
only the seasoned Pastor or a mature child of God who finally comes to a place where the
process of being puffed up and then humbled slows and he begins to live in a state of
humility on the inside and power on the outside. This is spiritual integrity.
I
have to admit that after I give a message, and I am praying for
people and greeting them after the service, there is that need for
someone to say 'good job'. After the closing prayer, in
my heart, I remind myself that I just delivered God's message to His
people - it's not about how me. So I can then greet people
without having to ask anyone 'how did I do?'. The
important question is one that only I can answer - 'did I deliver
God's message today?' If the answer is yes, or even I tried
to, than it was a successful sermon, no matter what anybody else
thinks about how well I delivered that message!
1Co
2:1-5
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with
superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony
of God. (2)
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified. (3)
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
(4)
and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words
of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
(5)
so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but
on the power of God.
Every
Pastor I know struggles with this - but if sermons begin the
basis of your self worth and the reason you are in ministry, it will
destroy your effectiveness in the Kingdom. Ministry is your
life - and Sunday's message is for you as much as it is for the
Church - because it's God's message you are delivering. It is
my weekly goal to finish a message, lift my eyes to the Lord, and
say - 'Great message God! Amen!!'
It took me 7
years to finally come close to this place of balance (my wife would most assuredly say I
have not even come close) and I had to go through the humbling process several times since
that wonderful day I was called into the ministry. The road has been long and at times
hard, but it has been worth it all! Jesus is calling you to integrity and humility.
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