Many who host dance conferences, lead movement ministries, or teach often talk about unity, being on one accord, and being many members of one Body. The stark reality of many groups and ministries is that this unity usually hinges on the requirement that you must join their group, cause or organization for this to occur. This is not "Kingdom" by any means.
I recently posted the following personal quote on Facebook: "Greatness is not intimidated by greatness, but rather submits in order to surpass. If those more experienced, skilled, or wise cause us to feel inferior, then we are operating in mediocrity and not excellence. Iron sharpens iron!" The general point of this is that jealously and envy cannot survive where humility is the order of the day. When we are led by the Spirit, we will have the wisdom to learn from those around us. These people do not necessarily have to be "dance ministry celebrities" or famous preachers. God can use anyone to impact our lives if our ears and eyes are open!
My friend Dr. Franca Fauntleroy chimed in and noted, "I sometimes wonder if we really operate in ministry or mayhem because Christians can be so cruel." I had to agree with this observation, and lament for many of the wounded movement ministers who have been maimed by overly-ambitious, money-hungry, fame-seeking, territory claiming, myopic wolves in sheep's clothing!
This injury is made manifest by excommunication, isolation, expulsion, blacklisting, ridicule, and malicious intent. The weapons of choice are verbal (spoken/written), social (ignoring others/intentional avoidance/animosity), technological (email/website articles/blogging/social networking), and spiritual (twisting the Word to gain an advantage/abusing the pulpit to preach our own agendas/hoping for destruction to befall the ministries of others).
Many of us have different areas of passion or concentration, but we really should have one common goal: Proclaim the Gospel and make disciples. Because many of our leaders have erroneously pushed our own agendas, we have drawn swords against one another. This is not ministry, this is mayhem!
Ministry
The office, duties, or functions of a minister
The body of ministers of religion: clergy
A person or thing through which something is accomplished :agency, instrumentality
Mayhem
Willful and permanent deprivation of a bodily member resulting in the impairment of a person's fighting ability
Willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body
Needless or willful damage or violence
Now that we have defined the difference, let us make an assessment:
When any of us inflicts damage on a fellow co-laborer, it's not ministry:
It's mayhem!
If we secretly desire the downfall of another and facilitate this by innuendo and threats for followers to disassociate with the offender:
It's mayhem!
When we encourage people to follow us instead of God:
It's mayhem!
When we operate out of impure motives and deception:
It's mayhem!
Each of us needs to examine ourselves today and repent for any actions that were provoked by the flesh and our own personal feelings. Deception has crept in and influenced even the elect among our ranks. We can pray, prophesy, and preach with the best of them, but unless we live the Word, we are facilitating mayhem and not ministry.
New King James Bible Version
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.
Acts 7:26-27
And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
Acts 8:23
For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.
Romans 3:13
“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”
2 Timothy 2:14
[Approved and Disapproved Workers] Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
2 comments:
wow...this is an eye-opener. thank you for posting.
Keep preaching the word!! Ministry by definition is service. We as a body need to get back to humility. When we humble ourselves we are not intimidated. We are true worshipers that say "Without God I can do nothing". God gives gifts as He sees fit and who is favored is up to him. He is Sovereign!
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