The most important thing to remember when it comes to ministry is: We minister to the Lord first! We belong to Him first. We are His real estate. Sometimes it feels like the people own us. They don't. He owns it all.
What a relief that is!
If the people don't own us - then we don't own them either.
God is the owner of the people that come to your Bible Study, fellowship meeting, Tea Party and counseling sessions.
We sometimes can get so wrapped up in ministering to people we forget to minister to Him. It's when we get this out of order we begin to lay claim to things that don't belong to us, in particular people.
We want so much for them to love God, to be giving people, for their marriages to succeed and for their bodies to be healthy. We pour out our lives for them. It even sounds scriptural. But our lives being poured out is an offering to God not to them. It is God that makes them more than conquerors.
The Pharisee's started out just wanting the people to do the right thing. They came up with all kinds of rules to keep the people out of trouble with God. Their focus was so much on the people they forgot God. It got so bad they couldn't even recognize His Son.
When we realize that God is our owner, it makes laying our lives down for others a whole lot easier. We don't mind people walking all over us or rejecting us. If it furthers your owner's kingdom why not?
When God owns us we will say what God wants us to say. When people own us we will say what they want us to say. When we let people own us, we can get bitter and angry. They are just not meant to be our owners, God is.
What a relief that is!
If the people don't own us - then we don't own them either.
God is the owner of the people that come to your Bible Study, fellowship meeting, Tea Party and counseling sessions.
We sometimes can get so wrapped up in ministering to people we forget to minister to Him. It's when we get this out of order we begin to lay claim to things that don't belong to us, in particular people.
We want so much for them to love God, to be giving people, for their marriages to succeed and for their bodies to be healthy. We pour out our lives for them. It even sounds scriptural. But our lives being poured out is an offering to God not to them. It is God that makes them more than conquerors.
The Pharisee's started out just wanting the people to do the right thing. They came up with all kinds of rules to keep the people out of trouble with God. Their focus was so much on the people they forgot God. It got so bad they couldn't even recognize His Son.
When we realize that God is our owner, it makes laying our lives down for others a whole lot easier. We don't mind people walking all over us or rejecting us. If it furthers your owner's kingdom why not?
When God owns us we will say what God wants us to say. When people own us we will say what they want us to say. When we let people own us, we can get bitter and angry. They are just not meant to be our owners, God is.
When people try to own me, I generally do a few things...
ReplyDeleteGet quiet.
Back away.
Draw my boundary lines stronger.
When they don't try to own me, I come close. In fact my deepest relationships are such where nobody tries to own me or vice versa - we are bound together because we both WANT to be and CHOOSE to be.
I believe trying to own people boils down to control and especially in the body of Christ I don't think relationship can be legislated. Nothing good ever comes out of forcing someone to be in relationship with you. When a person is free to make the choice they will go where their heart is. And isn't that what we want? To be in relationship where our heart is?
I back away as well. Yes owning boils down to control and with control comes the whole manipulation thing. ugh! It's a horror show at church. You have so much wisdom. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love the relationships that are the ones that genuinely let me be me. They accept all the quirky things I do.