Shifting Sands

I was praying and this thought crossed my head.

It is a very rude thought and for some could be extremely offensive.

But allow me to have a verse to get us into spiritual thinking

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. (1Corinthians 7:20)

Have you wondered how some people, especially ministers, live?

Has it occurred to you that the only situation you can assess is your own? And even that you are not even clear about many aspects?

Allow me to introduce another verse

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

Has it occurred to you that God will never consult you before calling anybody into His service? Do you know that each and every minister in the whole world is only accountable to that calling Authority? That even when you are entrusted with oversight it is only as a supervisor of sorts to make the servant be more effective to the One who called him?

Why am I using all these words to say a very simple thing?

In my decades of ministry, I have clashed severally with ministers because they have made themselves God’s prefects, wanting to micromanage or even determine others’ calling and ministry.

Some have blatantly said that what God has ordered one to do or how He has ordered them to do it is wrong because it does not agree with their calling or methods.

Some will go as far as saying that what a minister is doing borders on sin and rebellion because it does not fit into their rudder of ministry and calling.

There are some ministers (many times senior ministry or church operatives) who will trash you because you do not fit into their support structures.

Some will blatantly tell you that they cannot partner with you because you think and get support ambiguously (wrongly according to them).

But allow me to ask some questions

Are you the one who called them? Are they serving you? Are they accountable to you as per their calling? Do you feed them? Do you open ministry doors for them?

You see, we will all stand (individually) at the judgment seat of Christ.

It is therefore wise to view everything in that context.

Even that pittance you use to intimidate God’s ministers into serving you really does not come from you. You only give, however grudgingly, what you have also received.

The fact that you have been given the oversight role (and we might even question by who) does not make you the final authority in all things ministry. The fact that God used you into His calling someone into ministry does not make you the determinant of every detail of that ministry.

Let us get to the Bible for context.

Barnabas rescued Paul from rejection and discipled him into ministry. Yet we do not make this great man making any demands on his disciple.

He then takes Mark.

But Paul will have none of that, trashing this deserter and in a way disqualifying Barnabas’ ministry because he did not think Mark deserved a second chance.

But Barnabas knew what he was called to and separated with this success he had made to continue functioning in his calling.

We later see the same Paul, not only commending Mark, but pleading to have him, calling him useful for ministry.

The fact that Paul succeeded in ministry does not mean that Barnabas’ ministry was not of God. It just means that God holds someone accountable to what He has called him to.

And the fact that we have the book of Mark and Paul’s plea for Mark to be brought is proof that Barnabas was right in disagreeing with Paul to be able to walk in his calling.

I can only understand my ministry and calling. I am unable to understand even my children’s callings though I brought them up because they really belong to God and I was just a steward to guide them to hear God for themselves.

But allow me to be rude for you who think that because someone is calling you dad or mom (whatever that means) you are the ultimate in wisdom concerning their ministry, calling, support and so on.

Do you feed them? Do you give them peace? Do you give them fulfilment as they serve God?

Thou fool

Just because someone has chosen to serve God different from the way God clearly spoke to you about the way you do, are they not still serving?

Are those you trashed not having an impact for God?

Do those you trashed the way they raise (or refuse) to raise support live off your gifts after you threw them under the bus for rejecting your wisdom?

Are those whose Bible training you refused because they had used a different method or received a different order not even better educated than you?

Are those you kicked out of ministry or church not still ministering?

Are those support you cut without notice starving?

Are the children of those you kicked out of ‘your’ church starving as you had thought?

I will repeat again and again.

God is the ONLY ONE who calls people to HIS MINISTRY.

It is His calling and His ministry and we better remove ourselves from that.

We will be judged very harshly by taking that singular mandate just because He has made us under shepherds.

And for emphasis let me get us to a few crazy situations in the scriptures.

What would you have done if you were Isaiah’s bishop when he walked naked for three years?

What would you have said if Hosea was in your congregation when he chose to marry a known harlot, twice?

What would you have said to Philip when he left a revival meeting to run to the desert?

What would you have done to Jeremiah for refusing to get married among many other crazy things he did?

What would you have done to Elijah for staying with a heathen widow for years?

What would you have said to Elisha when he destroyed his source of livelihood to prepare a farewell party to join a prophet that nobody knew how he operated or even where he lived?

What would you have said to Amos who left his going concern farm to take a message to a far-off enemy land?

Could you have been Jonah’s advisor when he ran off instead of taking on the crazy assignment God was giving him?

What I am saying that you should leave God to deal with His servants.

Assist when you can. Counsel when opportunity comes your way. Empower when it is in your power.

But never forget this simple fact.

Each one of those people are directly called by God, even those you think are not called.

And I am speaking from some experience.

There are people who from my view were not called looking at the circumstances around that calling and even their testimony and claim of that calling.

But that did not stop them from doing wonders in the ministry they in my view had called themselves into.

Please stop pretending to be God’s prefect because He has none that he has given that job.