Managing God's People - Part 2
The Lord sent you to your members to better their lives. What He is supposed to do directly for them is what He wants to do through you.
Our job to the Church of God is vital, crucial and irreplaceable. We are direly needed but at the same time our job is so delicate.
What we do and how we do it can alter the eternal destinies of men. It's why we must be concerned about how we go about it.
It's our duty to avoid by all means anything that can be a hindrance to our ability and access to reach those under our coverage and tutelage.
2 Corinthians 11:7-10
[7]Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
[8]I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
[9]And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
[10]As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
While we talk about examples of where people gave sacrificially to a Man of God, let's also tell ourselves examples of where the Man of God didn't receive anything from the people.
Know when and where to take an offering. You can't be a collection basket because you're a Pastor. There are times, places and people you should take anything from at least for the moment.
It is also not everything we do for the flock we should expect anything in return as appreciation in cash or kind. Our divine duties to the flock must not be commercialized.
Yes, the people are responsible to reciprocate in cash or kind to us as we faithfully serve them but we must do it with much temperance.
Galatians 6:6
[6]Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
1 Corinthians 9:11
[11]If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? (read 11-15).
Paul refused to take anything from these Corinthian believers. He instead collected from others so as to serve them for free. At the moment it wasn't time to receive anything.
It was for the same reason Elisha refused a lush offering from Naaman.
2 Kings 5:15-16
[15]And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
[16]But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
Our goal should always be to improve and transform the lives of those the Lord sends to us. Our reward is from the Lord not the people we serve. Our source is God and whoever He uses to reward us is at His discretion.
We may, like Paul, be misunderstood and despised for moderation but we will remain strong and keep serving and making impact and expanding the kingdom of God.
Don't become a burden to anyone or the people. Your only source is God. You may be in a place where you'll need to find other means like Paul did to fund your work, don't fail to do it.
Paul's boasting was in the fact that he wasn't a burden on the Corinthian Church. Let it be our boasting always that we have not hindered God's work by our personal needs.
Our goal always like Paul, must be to improve, develop and transform all under us and not to plunder them.
Kevin Ashwe
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