BELIEF VS BELIEVING



Would you allow yourself to be operated by a surgeon who has not had actual experience?
Would you allow yourself to be treated by a doctor who has never had practical experience and training?
Would you allow an architect or an engineer who has no experience to build your building project? Would you trust a lawyer who has no experience to defend you on an important life and death matter?
If we don’t allow that in the temporal natural, why should we lower the standard when it comes to eternal things?

 

Many people who are inexperienced in ministry, no matter how young or old they are, have a habit of telling others what they think they know better. No doubt some of them could have far reaching ideas and callings but the first place to start is humility and not pride. They have no humility and that is where grace begins.

 

On the other hand, you have those who are very experienced in life and have success in various areas of life but not in ministry that they seek to be in. In these areas, again humility is required. It is sometimes even harder for the older with fixed habits and lifestyles to change that those who are young.

 

Sometimes you have one who is experienced in those areas, but their past methods and lifestyles no longer can serve the present generation and they will no longer succeed until they humble themselves and learn the new Spirit-way to reach the present generation. What is the fastest way to progress in fivefold ministry? The first and foremost quality is humility. For without humility nothing else matters. The entire ministry is by ministry grace which comes as one is humble before God and before man (1 Peter 5:5-6).

 

Without the grace of God there is no ministry. And grace comes only by humility before man and at the throne of God. If one need to choose between a very capable man or woman without humility and the grace of God and a half capable man or woman who is humble, choose the humble one. For in humility, they will grow and learn better than the one with pride.

 

Money cannot buy ministry, intellect cannot buy ministry and all humans and organizations cannot make one a minister. Ministry comes from God and God alone but even if one is called into ministry, one will never be recognized until one is humble and serving. It is important not only to teach what one should not be but also what one should be.

 

Progression in ministry can be accelerated in the following ways:

 

 1. All ministry is based on love.

Unless one is established in love and the motivation is love, the foundation is wrong. We are not just concerned about ministry performance (although that is important as a measuring yardstick for organizational evaluation) but about the eternal reward and the quality of a ministry. The quality of a ministry is always measured by the level of the love of Christ that is flowing through the individual and the standard of Scriptural dependence used.

 

2. Humility is a key requirement. 

Without humility nothing else can be received. A person has reached their plateau and goingdownhill when pride fills their heart and mind. Part of the ministry training is mentoring; pride prevents a person from being mentored and trained by others.

 

3. Character comes through experience. 

There is no other way to gain character except through tribulation, perseverance, then character (Romans 5:3). You can feel the power of the cross in the words and life of a person who has been through tribulation from one who has not. Every one of us has our cross to bear but many people run from their own cross and still seek to be a disciple and minister of Christ. There is always the cross before the resurrection power is demonstrated. Also, it needs to be the right type of experience. Some experiences make people more bitter, hurt, resentful, and this hinders future ministry.

No one can help you if you do not want to grow in love. The only thing that should come forth from our lives at all times, whether it be in an informal one to one fellowship or small gathering or at the pulpit, is love, peace and joy and the pure Word of God. People should feel that they have been deeply loved by God after every word we speak. Yes, even when we do corrective teaching, it is always done in love and humility (1 Timothy 5:1; 2 Timothy 2:24-25). For any correction given that is not done in love and humility is done only out of pride and self-recognition or superiority; and it will destroy rather than build up the person being corrected.


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It is important that we differentiate between what we know and what we are; what we think we know and what we truly know; who we are and not just what we think we are. Our character speaks louder than words. People will not receive our words if we do not have the character that backs up our words. And heaven measures us not by what we know but who we are. Heaven measures us by our heart’s love for people and not our mind’s knowledge of things. 

The best place to always be anywhere in the world in any profession is to be humble. Seek to be the humblest person on earth and you will be the greatest person on earth in the sight of God. Being is better than knowing for being includes knowing but knowing does not always include being. To be complete, the knowing and knowing is only the first of many processes towards being. Our lives are an epistle which others read better than our words. Be disciples. Be loving. Be humble.

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