The Reward of Self-Interest

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Many people who have lived in big cities, and even some small ones, will most likely have either come across a conman or someone who has. It is interesting that one does not have to be a stranger to be conned. It normally appears illogical when you are listening to a victim, until you become a victim.

Even their ruses keep changing so that no prior information is enough warning for you. Yet it is amazing that some very old tricks are still chewing victims. How does someone who has heard of a trick fall victim to similar tricksters.

I used to pass by a place card tricksters had a base of sorts and it was surprising that there was always someone crying after losing their school or college fees or rent or other useful investment after playing those cards. And they do not change locations so you will always find victims crying. Some think of fighting and discover that there is a whole army with the tricksters, some to bait you and others as a defense force should a victim become violent.

What does this have to do with the reward of self-interest?

I will start with a simple question. How does man worship the devil? Why did Jesus tell the Jews that they were of their father, the devil, yet they were for the most part strictly religious? Why did Jesus address Peter as Satan when he was fighting to save Him from death?

You see, the devil knows that only a negligible percentage will worship him by choice. Even our first parents did not bow to him that way.

The shortest route and easiest way to worship the evil one is to pursue self-interest. That automatically changes my worship to direct it toward the evil one, however convinced I am that I am worshipping God.

And the path to that worship is wide. It actually is the broad road to perdition. From pursuit of comfort to a pursuit of accomplishment to a pursuit of gratification, they all lead to the same destination, wrong worship. They therefore will invite rewards from the one being served to the destination he heads to.

A pastor wants the crowds he sees other pastors having. He discovers that he has been preaching the Gospel that offends many as its focus is potent, chasing many who may actually love church. Some have even approached him asking him why he preached such a tough Gospel.

He therefore decides to go slow to allow the slow learners to catch up. He therefore dilutes the Gospel to make it more palatable.

And the masses start pouring in, making his dreams come true. And he discovers that he is unable to preach the Gospel as he had thought he would do once the masses came. Why?

He had become a sellout. It is impossible to undilute what is already diluted. It is like trying to reduce salt from food when it is over salted.

You see, he had switched masters in his pursuit for success in ministry. He had done it because he sought success as defined by the world, however noble his intentions may have been.

From then on, he had started serving another master, self. I do not want to shock you by saying that he serves the devil, though that is the reality. No wonder there is barely any repentance in the church and even the wildest characters are proud to call that church home.

Of course very few know that you have sold out. You might even convince yourself that nothing has really changed apart from the growth of the numbers and subsequent offerings. But I suspect in your heart of hearts you are experiencing restlessness that comes from living life out of sync with the One who had called you.

But ‘ministry’ flourishes. But in reality it is the enemy of souls feeding its growth. And he feeds it because you have become his servant and so have made your church his structure. And he will reward you for that good work his way. That is the focus of this post.

How does the devil reward his most faithful servants? And by his servants I am talking about people living according to their standards. I am talking about people who dictate the terms of their success, people who are the centre of their existence.

Why does the devil destroy his most faithful servants? Why does he reward faithfulness with shame and destruction?

Let me give a few cases.

Remember this comedian who was recently jailed in his eighties?

He had become the epitome of success in his field. From monuments to institutions named after him he had thrived.

Until he required to retire, maybe became too old to be an effective servant. Then like is said all hell broke loose, literally.

You wonder where all those women he abused had been since the 70s to resurface just when he needed to take a rest. That completely destroyed his name, and of course landed him in jail. Why live in great honor all your life yet have that honor shredded when you most need it?

And that always is the way the devil rewards his faithful servants.

Then there is this pastor who had become a household name worldwide, even starting a movement to promote his doctrine.

Again he also plans to retire, even setting his retirement date.

As usual women come up alleging sexual impropriety on his side. Until he had to resign almost in shame as there was not enough time to prosecute his case.

Again let me ask, what were the women doing all those years that they wait until the time he should retire respectfully? Why does his ‘sin’ wait until he does not need exposure to it to resurface? And I am not saying he sinned or not. The ambush was planned so effectively that his guilt or innocence became irrelevant.

I also remember the case of a revered seminary professor who also went through something similar.

You see, when the devil gives you a platform, he will use the same platform to destroy you.

Remember King Saul? He was a good king until he overrode God’s command. Of course by that act he had substituted masters. No wonder God trashed him.

And it happened with him as has happened with these people I have mentioned. From visiting a witch to suicide, the only thing he enjoyed as his life closed was shame. What a harvest from someone he had served so effectively!

Yet there is always a way out. And I am sure each of these people had had a chance to examine their lives in the light of Christ’s Lordship at least one time.

Once you realize that you may have changed lords, the only way back is repentance. And David is the clearest example of the way back to God’s Lordship.

We must divorce self and all the appendages it has to regain our connection to our original Lord. Otherwise we will be serving the devil.

And you must be ready to, with the divorce, hand over everything you had acquired in the process of that service. Otherwise you will still be yoked to him.

Another thing I think I need to mention is that the devil will destroy you if he suspects you are considering changing masters. Incidentally many phenomenal musicians die in their prime because they have discovered the emptiness serving the devil entails and are considering giving it all up. I am not mentioning business magnates though even there it is the same. The devil is merciless, however faithfully you serve him.

Why don’t you return to Christ, my brother?

Yet I think it is important to know some other ways a minister can change masters with the purest of motives.

You are a musician and the Lord has given you an explosive song, a song that has transformed you even in its composition. You therefore surmise that whoever listens to it will be impacted positively. What do you do?

Of course you must record it. But then you do not have the money to pay production costs. Incidentally, you realize that the only producer who sees the gold in your song is a secular one. (I will not even ask how you landed there). He will of course negotiate with you on a purely commercial direction and market it the way the world does it. That is when you realize you changed masters midway and that song has been corrupted completely. It might still minister, but only because God will continue using the message He gave you even after He trashes you.

Or maybe the recording and production followed revelation but you realized that needed to get into the media for greater impact. But the media people insist on getting something before airing that great song. You reason that the ends justify the means and comply.

Again you have changed masters and have become a subject of the prince of the air.

Others get entrapped when their voice is rented out to the world.

Maybe like me you write books and feel you need to recover your investment and therefore get into some alliances that have not been directed from heaven. You have sold out and like Saul become disqualified.

How do I know that I am a sell out?

Let us take Saul for our example.

Why was it difficult for him to kill Agag, the Amalek king? They were brothers, serving the same god. It is only that Saul had deceived himself otherwise. And we see the same thing with Ahab and the king of Syria.

Yet look at Samuel, the softie prophet who was from weeping that God had rejected Saul. He was old and I doubt he was very strong. Yet his zeal for God was such that he easily hacked this king to pieces.

Our attitude toward sin is the one that tells us the Lord we are submitted to.

If you find yourself rationalizing the sins of your team it is highly probable that you have changed masters. If you hide from confrontation where sin is involved, that is a clear danger sign. You see, a friend who has sinned is an enemy to what God stands for. Preaching against sin is therefore clear evidence of our submission to Christ who died for the sins of the world.

A true minister of the Gospel cringes when sin is mentioned, let alone being in his team. A pastor would rather resign than serve with elders who are not willing to resolve sin issues in the board. A pastor who fears confrontation eventually becomes part of the problem.

Another thing we see with a minister who has changed masters is the creation of enemies. The king who was unable to kill someone he was ordered to had no problem clearing a whole priestly town because they did not kill his enemy, an enemy who was just a figment of his imagination.

You see, when sin stops being your sole enemy, you must create enemies of anybody not sold to your folly.

I am writing about things I have seen again and again, things I have experienced in my years in ministry.

Yet God is waiting for you to repent before your new master tears you to pieces like the examples we have seen. In fact he will destroy you if he suspects any chance of repentance on your side.

And I am not talking about repentance like this deluded and completely insane ‘mighty prophet’ who even thinks Christ calls him my lord.

I am talking about retracing our route to when we were first called, probably even to when we got saved as many times the ‘gospel’ that saved us may have been the cause of the confusion. You see many evangelists connect us to Christ as our servant and whim fulfiller.

We must go back to the Bible and allow it to lead us to God’s will and ways.