Anointed Donkeys

Imagine with me this donkey conversation

Donkey 1: You have been so aloof lately. Why don’t you spend as much time with us?

Donkey 2: I have been quite busy. You see I have started getting opportunities that require my spending less time with you.

Donkey 3: But you also seem to be avoiding us. Why do you not even wave at us when you are passing?

Donkey 2: I am too busy to notice anything that does not fit in my purpose.

Donkey 1: My friend, that borders on pride

Donkey 2: If walking according to my new status is pride, then I plead guilty.

Donkey 1: Eh? You actually mean you have been avoiding us?

Donkey 2: No. It is you who are fighting to drag me to your level, something that I will resist with everything I have

Donkey 4: I hope you are not starting to imagine that you are a horse.

Donkey 2: Even a horse is beneath me.

Donkey 3: Now you are taking this too far. Since when did a donkey attain a higher status than a horse?

Donkey 2: Have you ever see a horse being given red carpet treatment?

Donkey 1: Explain

Donkey 2: If you never saw it, did you not hear the time people were removing their clothes and laying them on the road for me to walk on?

Donkey 3: Was it not for Jesus that the people were doing it?

Donkey 2: How many times has Jesus been walking these roads without anyone doing anything of the sort for Him? Could they have done it if it were not me who was carrying Him?

End of the conversation.

Many ministers, especially in our times reason so much like Donkey 2. They believe that God has no other choice but to use them. They ascribe all that God does through them to their persona.

In fact many announcements and advertisements for meetings, seminars and Gospel crusades leave no doubt as to who the main guy is.

‘With God all things are possible’ is not complete without the addition, ‘with so and so’. The attendance of some ministers commands greater awe and expectation than the presence of Christ would. People attend events and concerts because of the minister present rather than a response to God’s invitation. I know of people who will go on leave (stop attending church) when their star performer (sadly called pastor) is on leave. I have even encountered some who will come to church and go back home because they discover their star is performing elsewhere. And I am talking about people who proudly confess it.

The sad fact is that these pastors are proud of the fact that they are the reason people go to church. Yet who are we?

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2Corinthians 4:7)

There is no glory inherent in us. A light bulb is an ornament without electricity. It may be the focus of the room, but only because it carries the light giving glory.

That glory is Christ in us. Remove Christ and we are worse than that light bulb without power. This is because in us dwells nothing good. This makes it very clear that what is visible is what is being radiated by whatever is in us. And that is what we see in Galatians 5 where the works of the flesh are contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit. In each the resident presence reproduces itself in the vessel holding it.

Even at our best we can only radiate what is in us and not ourselves. We therefore should lead people to the source of what we radiate.

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2Corinthians 2: 15 – 16)

God is never at our mercy. Remember this

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:40)

We are the ones in need of His mercy. We do not deserve to serve Him at all. Nothing in us gives us any stature in God’s sight since He already knows that we are dust.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

The fact that He chooses to use us does not change the fact. It in fact amplifies it when we get a glimpse of the One we are serving.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5)

It is sheer folly, ignorance, even blasphemy to suppose that we qualify to be used. It is even worse when we equate ourselves with God as equal partners.

The first culprit of this is some people we more or less worship for their availability to be used of God. Mariolatry is one such perversion. Mary was not confused as we are about who she was in the sight of Christ, her son in the flesh. Look at her response to God’s offer to use her.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:38)

She did not treat herself as some of us treat her. But neither did Jesus.

Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12: 47 – 50)

Why we think that she and some other dead people can intercede for us is not only incredulous but also completely unscriptural. Or have we forgotten this

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)

Why are we using others to pray for us?

But this message concerns us and our stature or lack of it in the eyes of God.

We know we have fallen for this trap when someone’s daily walk with God is not an essential when one is considering leadership in church and ministry positions.

We look for an excellent voice when we want to raise worshippers without asking whether their lives are consistent with their confession. We look for more degrees without caring to know whether they dwell in God’s presence. We look for the rich without caring to know whether those riches are at the disposal of the King we serve or they are like the rich young ruler in the Bible.

A smartly dressed preacher is regarded better than the one who does not have an elaborate wardrobe. An eloquent debater is respected for wasting an hour expounding on a verse than one so immersed in the word that anything he speaks is the scripture. A magician will draw more people to their ‘church’ with magic tricks and witchcraft than someone whose closeness to God is evident even to the unbelievers. A false prophet has a greater following than a simple proclaimer of the Gospel of Christ.

Even the people we support are many times very clear evidence the kind of donkeys we love. People would rather support an adulterer with a big church than one who struggles because he has refused to compromise his calling. They would rather support a very prominent ministry that pushes the homosexual agenda than one which has decided to stick to the plain Gospel of Christ.

But feeling better than other donkeys does not change the fact that it is still a donkey. In fact it is worse because it has a serious identity crisis. But it gets even worse because it has lost the purpose for which it was created. It has disqualified itself from ever being used by his creator and started living its own self-defeating purpose and of course feels great to it. More like what happened with Eve when she thought to become like God.

Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. (Psalm 32:9)

That is what happened to Saul, the king. He became more important than the prophet who anointed him, than even the God who commanded it.

It also happened to Nebuchadnezzar. See what he said

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

It happened to Belshazzar when he took temple utensils to his party.

And it attracts judgment, sometimes instant as it is blasphemy however we may want to look at it.

Saul and Belshazzar lost their kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar was demoted to the point that he ate grass like an ox.

But it is Herod who met that judgment dramatically as he started rotting and being eaten by worms as he was standing and taking in all the glory the people were pouring on him.

And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. (Acts 12:23)

But does it have to end that way? Is there a way we can avoid falling in that trap?

Of course God has provided an escape even for that (1 Corinthians 10:13).

But it is not an attractive option for most. It is sacrifice at its most basic.

But we have Christ as our example. See how many times He referred people to His sending authority.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2: 5 – 7)

He surrendered the authority He had to accomplish the mission that brought Him.

And He also gave us the same instruction.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17: 7 – 10)

Are you more important than the Gospel you proclaim? Who between you and the Gospel adds value to the other? Who can exist and flourish without the other?

It is essential that we establish that in our hearts and minds who we are in relation to the God we serve. Otherwise we will continue behaving foolishly in our service to Him. Our self importance will very easily disqualify us from being ministers, not only in the eyes of men but also in the eyes of the one we pretend to serve.

Look at some introductions given of ministers as they are called to speak and you will get what I am saying. Some would put Christ to shame if He stood by them as they were being introduced. There would be little difference between them and Herod.

Some churches are extensions of these donkeys. A signboard will be incomplete if it does not have the picture of the main donkey very prominently. An announcement can never be made if it lacks their contribution. Some have wives of the donkey as the deputy and children as directors. And we are talking about church and ministry!

But another problem with our self importance as we do ministry is that we are wont to set the standards instead of relying on God’s eternal standards. It becomes easy to dismiss sin and excuse it for weakness. We become our own judges of character, even dismissing anyone who insists that God is the only one with the standards for any judgment. Thus we will explain sin instead of addressing it, especially if we or our supporters are the culprits.

We also easily become partial with our attention. We elevate those who ‘recognize’ our status and hate those who do not buy into our importance. We hate, even destroy people and ministries whose view of our life and ministry makes them treat us as ordinary donkeys. It becomes worse if they have the backing of scripture and character as we fear they may influence others into their ‘skewed’ view. Sin is sin not because it is so in God’s eyes but because it stands in opposition with our self importance. We handsomely reward those who recognize our elevated status and publicly affirm those who invest in our status.

What kind of donkey are you? Is your status consistent with God’s revelation? Or are you on the firing line of God’s judgment?