Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Why Ministry
Jollyblogger writes about his motivation for ministry.
Speaking from my own experience, I got into ministry for validation. I was trying to save the world, well a few high school kids anyway, to save myself. Worst of all, was what I expected my "salvation" to look like - me as superstar religious hero of some sort, with supplicants sitting at my feet because of my wisdom, spiritual depth, and charisma.
Talk about "looking for love in all the wrong places"!
The truth is there is a huge interplay between personal salvation and worldly salvation, but it is the other way around - I save myself, by letting God save me, so that God is one step closer to saving the world, perhaps using me in His actions.
Moreover, we are of the most use to God's actions to save the world when we concentrate on our own sanctification. That may mean no audience, that may mean no worldly glory, but it will mean ultimate glory, the glory that only God can grant, brightly and eternally.
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A few things stand out there - he speaks of the atoner who in effect seeks to save the world to save himself, or the one who wishes to transform themselves while claiming they want to transform Africa. In my case, and I wonder if its not the case of others, we seek to transform ourselves by claiming we want to change the world for Christ.The attitude that David here bemoans is so close, oh so close to the way things ought to be, and so right on as to the way things actually are.
Speaking from my own experience, I got into ministry for validation. I was trying to save the world, well a few high school kids anyway, to save myself. Worst of all, was what I expected my "salvation" to look like - me as superstar religious hero of some sort, with supplicants sitting at my feet because of my wisdom, spiritual depth, and charisma.
Talk about "looking for love in all the wrong places"!
The truth is there is a huge interplay between personal salvation and worldly salvation, but it is the other way around - I save myself, by letting God save me, so that God is one step closer to saving the world, perhaps using me in His actions.
Moreover, we are of the most use to God's actions to save the world when we concentrate on our own sanctification. That may mean no audience, that may mean no worldly glory, but it will mean ultimate glory, the glory that only God can grant, brightly and eternally.
Technorati Tags:ministry, motivation, salvation, sanctification, saving the world
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