Stewardship

APAD DAY 13

by Daniel Owino Ogweno
03/01/17
Not For Sale
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Putting Things into Perspective

Where I come from, we have a say that goes: You eat where you work. It is natural and scriptural to get one’s daily bread from his work, including ministering in spiritual matters. Nevertheless, when it comes to the things of God, we have also to be clear that they don’t follow the pattern of this world—and there is a call for sacrifice which in essence authenticates our genuine heart to serve the Lord other than our interests. This is why it is important to put things into perspective.

It is the perspective that helps us, for example, reconcile a person talking about ‘downstairs’ and another talking about ‘upstairs’. These people may be talking about the same staircase only that one may be at the top and the other at the bottom. For the person at the bottom, the staircase is leading upstairs; for the person at the top, the staircase is leading downstairs.

We may be talking of the same thing, namely: eating where you work, but it is important to note that one may be driven to work because he wants to eat—to him food is the goal, while the other may be driven to eat because he wants to work—to him work is the goal. The attitude the two people have towards food will determine how they relate with it. To one, food is important because it is what he is working for; to the other, food is important because it gives him energy to work.

Exhorting us not to worry about the necessities of life, the Lord Jesus said: “… seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). In this respect, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is not only a priority in life, it is also a goal. We are not in the ministry in order to seek these other things, rather they will be added as we busy ourselves in the pursuit of God’s pleasure.

In the ministry, there are people who are seeking souls because through it, they will acquire material possessions. On the other hand, there are those who seek souls because they get fulfilled when they fulfil God’s purpose in their life. In this latter group, they trust God to provide for them. The former group see the people they manage to reach to hold sway for their welfare.

If the above is understood, then we will know what is a consequence and what is a goal. A goal is something we pursue; a consequence is something that follows us; a goal is what we live for, a consequence is what we live on. The person pursuing souls and the one pursuing wealth will both still minister to people but the latter will say: If you give me food or promise to do so, I will minister to you; the former will just minister after which the congregation will say: Because you have ministered to us, we are giving you food (see Gal. 6:6).

The above perspective will help us understand more what the apostle Paul was talking about in the quotation below. Note the italicized portions, indicating that Paul would still preach the gospel even if the people he ministered to never gave him anything.

“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.