Surrendering Your Will

You are not better than those you are called to serve."

I had a dream I had embarked on a great project that for a while saw great success.  All of the sudden those thing that had been built began to crumble and I and those whom I thought deserved to be with me in ministry began to run for our lives as the structure fell. 

In my dismay I began to ask god why. And, on a wall in a small area surrounded by what looked to be an ornately decorated picture frame, a message came.  It said something to this affect; “We are not greater than those whom we are called to serve”.  In this dream, my efforts crumbled because of my attitude towards those I attempted to avoid.  

It was not that I started out with this attitude in ministering but it was the result of years of striving with folks who I allowed to abuse my kindness, my gentleness and my good intentions.  Notice the word “my”?  My efforts in ministry came from a zeal to do all, be all and care for all, something I now know was God’s acceptable will but not his perfect will for my life.  I looked forward to a new assignment nursing the open, unattended wounds from past efforts in ministry.

What was the point?  This is what I understood from these things.  The people we serve in ministry may indeed hurt us.  Those whom we give our lives and heart to may leave us and we may not see the intended or expected results of ministry, but minister we must.  Even if our time is concluded with those whom God has assigned to us our attitude towards those slated for our future must not be jaded by past experiences.  God may be preparing us for our next assignment, but we must not feel we can pick and choose who we are to minister to.  Our attitude must be that of Jesus who forgave and gave himself in ministry.  After all, are we not ministers of Jesus Christ?  Are we not sent to the nations? 

I rose knowing this message was definitely for me.  As I believe my assignment is changing and that I am not responsible for how I am treated or regarded, but how I treat and regard those to whom I am sent. My attitude, hurt, expectations and ambitions in ministry must be laid before the feet of Christ.  I must be willing to wash the feet of Kings and peasants.  I must be willing to give the best of my gifting to all whom are hungry or are in need even if they resemble that which brought me pain in my past. Jesus died for all we should die to all.

I believe I came to this vision as I began to review churches in need of pastors that had beautiful sanctuaries but troubled, tradition fixed people.  My perousal of social media turned up information on individuals and groups associated with these ministries that I found to be dubious. Consequently, I did not approve of such individuals and decided that I did not want to serve them.  Just because there is an opening does not mean it's desireable.

On that note, this is the reason many churches go without God sent pastors.  They assign teams who are fresh with the failures of past leaders or they are fixed on choosing someone that will follow rather than lead.  Unwilling to trust God in the selection of the successor, they are left to secular institutions with requirements and measurements that don't require prayer, fasting or meet with biblical standards.  Good and faithful candidates are overlooked in the selection process because of past denominational affiliation, scholastic achievements or lack thereof.  Since when did seminary degrees trump Christian experience or God given wisdom?  Delay may also come because some ministries have property or people who have coveted positions that they deem must be protected.  Many nondenominational and community based ministries, who profess freedom from tradition, have  committee members that bring traditional baggage with them.  Jaded, hurt and unyielding idealism often cripples the prospective church from receiving a faithful pastor. 

I had an experience with a church who I believe wanted a figure head and not a pastor. I had trouble with one point on their belief statement and suggested an alternative thought.  Our only correspondence was through email and with only one individual on the board.  I never had the opportunity to address the point or the board as a whole.  The decision to take a second look at my candidacy ended with the thought that I disagreed with the church.  It is sad when one or two individuals make themselves “the church” or use themselves as the measure by which all men are to subscribe.  Even at the time of this writing, almost two years, the church is without a pastor, not good.  And, from what I can see, the former pastor is moving and doing quite well.

I digress, the dream helped me to realize that ministry is not about our convenience or our ability to tolerate what we call common.  It’s not about trying to avoid future pain or steer our ship away from that familiar island.  Ministry is about serving, and lifting, and comforting and feeding and teaching and directing but most of all helping people have a relationship with Jesus Christ who paid for all our sins and provided for all our needs.  We are called to reveal God’s purpose and plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ without prejudice or reservation.

We are in ministry, not by ourselves, but with people who are equally talented, gifted and called by His Spirit.  We never have to worry about doing it all, as leaders and pastors we must learn to empower and release others to help us in ministry.  God always provides resources that think faster than us, have specific compassions that will fill in the gaps of our limitations.  Did He not give the church gifts of ministry for the perfecting of believers?  And, those gifts included administrations and helps.  This means that the preacher should preach and the teacher should teach and the prophet should encourage and the administrator should manage and the scribe should write and the evangelist should reach out and the disciple should make more disciples.

As I rose, this was the pilot scripture that came to me;

Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18 ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the POOR; he hath sent me to heal the BROKEN HEARTED, to preach DELIVERANCE to the CAPTIVES, and RECOVERING of SIGHT to the BLIND, to set at LIBERTY them that are BRUISED,¹⁹ To PREACH the ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD (to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor AMP).   

If you have been in His service for any amount of time you will come to places in life where you even question why you are submitting yourself to certain pressures.  You may think from time to time that what you believe or what you were called to do was simply your imagination, surely things should work out better than they have.  You may have been on a Jesus rocket to success.  And, now with so many depending on you, you forget that you are human and subject to human frailty.  Some have quit, some take drugs to preach, and some get blasted to stand behind the sacred desk.  Some yield to pleasures to cope with pain.  They reach for “the haves” and reject the “have-nots” in order to insure the coffers are full.  If I missed your category, trust me, you know who you are!  

Forget about your desires and take His desires.  Release your vision and take on his.  If you trust in the Lord and his provision and vision for your life; If you lean not to what you understand about who you are and allow Him to shape you into what He knows you to be; If you take his desires he will give you the desire of and for your heart.  Now, you can breathe and take on the task in front of you.  Now, you can rest in his provision and sleep soundly knowing you have done His will and not your own. 

In the end you will be glorified, why, the scriptures teach His will is to glorify you, which in turn, glorifies Himself.  As men see your good works, they see Christ and glorify your father which is in heaven.  “GET IT”.  IT REALLY IS NOT ABOUT YOU.  Screw that in that hard head and it will soften your heart and shield you from the disappointments this world will often bring.  Since the world hated him, it hates you.  Ministry is not always a feel good proposition, but if approached correctly, it can be the most fulfilling assignment of your life.

I recall in the distance I heard this song: “Let them see you in me, let them hear you when I speak".

Take away the melodies
take away the songs I sing
take away all the lights
and all the songs you let me write
does the man I am today
say the words you need to say.
Let them see you, in me
let them hear you, when I speak
let them feel you, when I sing
let them see you,
let them see you, in me.
Who am I without your grace
another smile, another face
another breathe, a grain of sand
passing quickly through your hand
Id give my life, I'm not afraid
take it all, take everything
Let them see you, in me
let them hear you, when I speak
let them feel you, when I sing
let them see you,
let them see you, In me
with every breathe I breathe
I sing a simple melody
but I pray they'll hear more than a song,
In me, in me                                                                              By JJ Weeks Band

Yield all that you are to Christ.  Return your gifts, talents and anointing’s to Him. His desire becomes our desire and our desire becomes His promise; “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”. Psalms 37:4

Think about it! LAFSR