"THEREFORE take HEED to yourselves and to all the FLOCK, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to SHEPHERD THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD."
Acts 20:28 (NKJV)
2 SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY;
3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
1 Peter 5:2-4 (NKJV)
• The focus of a minister in the work of ministry should not be about the material benefits mainly.
- We live in a material world and we need material things, but that should not be the sole reason why someone comes to work in the ministry.
- When the focus or gaze of a minister shifted from the souls they are to bless or feed with the Word of God, to the rewards they will get in the work; such a minister has missed it (Philippians 3:19; 1 Timothy 6:5-10).
- Whatever you are doing in the ministry, you should always have it in your mind that, It is not about the material benefits, but the souls, the people, who are entrusted to your hands:
"CARE FOR THE FLOCK THAT GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOU. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—NOT FOR WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT OF IT, BUT because you ARE EAGER TO SERVE GOD" (1 Peter 5:2 NLT). - When the souls, or the lives of those you are assigned to reach or minister to, are no longer your priority, you have derailed and God would not be happy with whatever you do any longer.
- The misplaced priority will cause you to see the other side of God. He would not be delighted in blessing whatever you do, because you have derailed, you have had a wrong priority—people's lives are no longer given precedences by you.
- Always check the motives with which you do whatever you are doing in the work of Ministry.
- A wrong motive, priority, would cause God to withdraw; in which you would no longer receive His full support or backings in whatever you do.
• Why are you doing what you are doing?
- Are you doing it because of the wellbeing of the people you are leading, or because of the personal gain or benefit that you will derive or get from it.
- If it were about what you would get or benefit from it, God may not be in the full support of it. However, If it were about what other people would get from it, then He would want to be part of it.
- You may want to ask, what would be your own benefits then?
GOD does not want you to be engrossed with your life; how to get this or that:
"He [Jesus] told the people, “BE CAREFUL TO GUARD yourselves from every kind of GREED. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT HAVING A LOT OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS" (Luke 12:15 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW). - He wants you to trust Him enough that, as you are committed in reaching out to others, your own needs would be taken care of by Him (Matthew 6:28-34).
- In working for God, the self has to be relegated. You think less of yourself, and more of the people you are assigned:
28 BESIDES the other things, WHAT COMES UPON ME [Paul] DAILY: MY DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL THE CHURCHES. 29 WHO is WEAK, AND I am not WEAK? WHO is made to STUMBLE, AND I do NOT BURN with INDIGNATION?" (2 Corinthians 11:28,29 NKJV). - Whoever is living for the self may not receive God's favour in whatever he or she does.
- God desires to have those who would stand with Him to reach out or minister to mankind.
HE wants those who would reveal His love nature to mankind, through the major way of expressing it—Giving (John 3:16), and by meeting the needs of other people practically:
16 WE know what real love is because JESUS GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR US. SO WE ALSO OUGHT TO GIVE UP OUR LIVES FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, LET'S NOT MERELY SAY THAT WE LOVE EACH OTHER; LET US SHOW THE TRUTH BY OUR ACTIONS" (1 John 3:16-18 NLT).
READ: 1 Timothy 6:17-19
• If the reason behind the meeting you organized is money, you have already missed it.
- If you had written a book, and the motive of written it, is money, you have missed it—God's blessings would not be on it.
- Whatever you do in the Kingdom, If the sole motive of it, is all about money or material benefits, God may not be part of it.
- A good number of people come to the work of Ministry humbly, and when God decided to honour their commitments, add glamour to their lives; they shifted their gaze from Him and the people He has assigned them to lead, because of the blessing, the material benefits, He has blessed them with.
- No matter the level of your greatness in the work of ministry, whatever God may have given to you; the lives of the people you are assigned, is still, and should still, be the sole priority of yours.
- When you are no longer interested in those whom God has assigned you, and those He would want you to reach for Him; you may no longer experience and enjoy His backings.
- No matter your greatness, be committed to whatever He assigned you to do, which always is, about mankind—how to bless mankind and draw them closer to Him, that is, be reconciled with God:
18 NOW all things are of God, who has RECONCILED US to Himself through Jesus Christ, AND HAS GIVEN US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, AND HAS COMMITTED TO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION. 20 Now then, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NKJV).
• If you use your gifts to feed the whole world, God will not allow you to be in want!
- Whatever you had, you should not be selfish with it, including your God given gifts—endowments.
- Use them to bless others, in it there is a blessing and reward from God:
15 THEREFORE BY HIM LET US CONTINUALLY OFFER THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE TO GOD, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 BUT DO NOT FORGET TO DO GOOD AND TO SHARE, FOR WITH SUCH SACRIFICES GOD IS WELL PLEASED" (Hebrews 13:15,16).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name
Peace!