“It is better to have one person who loves you for who you truly are than to have ten thousand who love the person they imagine you to be.”
“Pride is not the by-product of confidence, it is the façade that we build around our deepest insecurities. Find me a man that is cloaked in arrogance and I’ll show you a man that is terrified at his core. Find me a man who is cloaked in genuine humility and I’ll show you a man who knows who he is.”
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As the wheel begins to turn, the clay is centered in the middle of the hub. At this stage, it is little more than a pile of thick mud. But as the skilled hands of the craftsman take hold, something unique and functional emerges. Smoothing rough patches, building up thin spots, evening out the edges… the potter cannot rush the process if he hopes for his work to stand up to the fire of the kiln. As one hand forms the inner contour, the other shapes the external face; and it is only in the balance of these two forces that a usable vessel is created.
Indeed, our God is the potter and we are the clay; He has destined us to be conformed to the image of His Son and He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in us. Though many a motivational speaker would have us believe that we are something more than mere clay, the fact remains that apart from God, we can do “nothing” (which literally means “no thing”). This of course doesn’t mean that we can’t busy ourselves with our own plans and strategies; it just means that, in the end, they won’t pass the test of fire. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus doesn’t deny the claims of those who say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles”; He simply says that He never knew them. Ultimately it is not about what is done “in His name”, it’s about what is done “in Him”.
Though the Lord most certainly uses the lives of mere men within His plan, I believe that it is only when those lives move in unison with the internal work that He’s doing in a heart that a fruitful outcome is achieved. Just like the potter’s wheel, it is the coordination of the internal and external forces that shape the vessel. That is why to those who are perishing the cross is foolishness; unless a heart has begun to yield to the wooing of the Lord (i.e. the internal force), it cannot comprehend the cross (i.e. an external manifestation). I also believe this is why so much of the church’s efforts to evangelize fall flat. Many have been taught that if we simply present the gospel the right way, it will bring people to Christ; but ultimately it is not the quality of our gospel seed, it is the condition of the soil to receive it. No one comes unless He draws them and hardened soil will not receive even a good seed. This is why true evangelism is rooted in genuine relationship and not simply handing out tracts at the mall. This point is even further bore out by the fact that the cross represents the power of God to those who are “being saved” (as opposed to just those who are already saved). Despite our boasts, only God Himself can truly claim to have led someone to Jesus.
It seems to me that a lot of religious activity is focused on our external work, without any real sensitivity to the corresponding internal work of God. Indeed, our Christian bookstores are filled with volumes on 10 ways to do this and 5 ways to do that. It’s unlikely that many of those instructions contain a step that says something like “wait on the Lord and act only after receiving direction from Him”. Within the potter’s wheel analogy, this type of formulaic activity is likely to be more distorting than productive. The litany of people, who would claim to have been wounded by their interactions with church and Christianity, would only seem to validate this premise.
I’ve long held that the “Great Commission” is something of a misnomer. Though undoubtedly God has called us to make disciples of all nations, the word “commission” often takes on the connotation of acting on someone’s behalf (i.e. independently from them) and that is not the context that scripture presents. We can read the Bible, but without the interaction of the Holy Spirit, we’re likely just to interpret the words to suit ourselves. We can consider ourselves the voice of truth, but without discerning the heart of God, we are more likely to cultivate oppression than freedom. We can tell people about Jesus, but without any real sense of what God is doing in their lives, it can be just like throwing seed on a parking lot. Jesus Himself said that He didn’t do anything until He saw the Father do it first; how presumptuous it is to assume that we’d be able to do otherwise. The apostle Paul exhorted us to walk in the Spirit, to live in the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit, which is essentially the same thing that Jesus described. Ultimately it is only when the two hands work in tandem that we can see genuine increase.
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There is probably very little in this life that can change your perspective more than having children. It not only changes how you view yourself, but how you view the world and what life is really all about.
Our oldest daughter will be a Senior next year and her teen years have been an eye opening experience for us. With three other kids just reaching adolescence, I shudder at the thought of what the next 5-7 years might bring our way. God help us!
It’s funny how your kids start out believing that you know everything and how quickly they come to decide that you really don’t know anything. They become convinced that you’ve never faced what they’re facing or that you’ve forgotten what it was like; but the truth is that more often it’s that we remember just how it was and that’s what worries us.
In watching and listening to teens I sense that most feel as though their parents are against them having any fun and that adults enjoy messing up their kids’ plans. I believe the fact of the matter is that most parents want their kids to enjoy themselves, but that they can see what their kids are often blind to. Kids tend to think in the short term, while parents are more tuned to the long term.
As I pondered what my kids might be like when they’re “grown up”, I had to ask myself exactly when that will be; is it when they’re 18, or 21, or is it even age dependent? I immediately thought of some folks who are in their 50’s and 60’s, who I don’t think have quite reached “grown up” status yet; so I bagged the notion that this happens at a certain age.
As I tried to pin down the defining characteristics of being “grown up”, there were three that stuck out.
One of the most prevalent characteristics of children is their self-centeredness. As cute and lovable as they are, in their minds everyone and everything is meant to be about them. A baby doesn’t care if you haven’t slept or that you have to get up early or that you’re sick; all it knows is that it is hungry or cold or afraid or uncomfortable…
Unfortunately this self centeredness is a part of our nature and none of us completely conquer it, but hopefully as we mature we learn to consider the needs of others and begin to enjoy serving as much as being served.
As we get older sometimes this selfishness becomes a little more covert. We may not throw ourselves on the floor and cry, but we may frequently find ourselves offended, as though everything that is being said or done is specifically aimed at us.
Through my experience I’ve come to believe that most of the people who’ve hurt me didn’t necessarily set out to do so, they just didn’t consider how I might be effected by their actions (i.e. inconsiderate or thoughtless as opposed to malicious or mean); this tends to make forgiveness a lot easier.
People who are self centered often struggle to forgive, because they’ll generally believe that people went way out of their way to hurt them. I believe that this is rarely as true as we believe. One of the most liberating discoveries of my life has been the understanding that it is not all about me.
Another important aspect of maturing is taking responsibility for our life. Often when you try to hold a child accountable, they’ll have a million excuses and none of them will be “It was my fault” or “I made a bad choice”. Bad grades are undoubtedly because the teacher doesn’t like me; bad play will likely be because of a bad coach or bad teammates; messy rooms will probably be because of friends or little brothers or sisters.
A milestone in anyone’s life is gaining the understanding that while you may not be able to control other people and/or situations, you can control how you respond; that what “they did” has no power over me as long as I choose to let it go. Once you have that revelation, you never have to feel powerless again.
As long as we blame others for our problems and/or unhappiness, they will remain a powerful influence over our lives. This is often seen in adult relationships. When two people divorce they often blame each other and fail to take responsibility for the role they played in that failure.
When that happens, you’ll see those people struggling with these same issues years after the fact and often they’ll walk right back into the same type of bad situation. Sometimes you’ll see people with three or four marriages play out the identical scenario over and over again. The only responsibility that they’ll accept is that they’re bad at picking mates.
Even when we’ve been terribly wronged, if we will accept responsibility for the role that we played in a situation, it frees us from carrying that damage on and from repeating that destructive cycle.
Another significant step is the understanding that boundaries are meant for our protection and well being. Children resent boundaries and teens often disdain them even more. They generally don’t understand that these things are bore out of love and concern for them; in fact they’ll generally believe quite the opposite.
This is also a strong part of our nature and simply put it is rebellion. As with these other characteristics, we can see this plainly in adults as well. We all know people who disdain the government, paying taxes, following speed limits, the boss who expects them to be at work on time, the Pastor who doesn’t do it the way they want it, the Ref who makes a call against their team…
As we mature, hopefully we come to the realization that all these things were put in place to help and in some cases protect us. With that understanding, it is not a burden to comply.
I guess the reason to ponder all of this is that these principles work the same way in our relationship to God. He says that we need to esteem others higher than ourselves, that it is better to give than to receive, that we ought to serve others instead of seeking to be served and that we shouldn’t try to gain our life.
If making ourselves comfortable and happy is our top priority, we are really little more than selfish children; who will likely require more goodwill than we’ll ever dispense.
Taking responsibility is also a big step in our relationship with God, because without it we cannot reach forgiveness. The way we are forgiven of sins is through repentance and if we are unwilling to acknowledge our failures, there can be no repentance. Repentance is not being sorry; it is changing our mind and our direction. Unless we’ve taken responsibility for where we’re at, we will likely just wait for somebody or something else to change.
Finally, part of “growing up” in the Lord is when we begin to follow His guidance not out of fear of His judgment, but out of the understanding that His view is much bigger than ours and that He’s got our best interest in mind. When we grasp that truth, the walk of faith isn’t drudgery and we don’t sit around feeling as though we’re missing the “good stuff”.
We live in a culture that idolizes youth and in which “growing up” is not necessarily esteemed; but as Christians we cannot choose to live in “Neverland”. God has destined us to be conformed to the image of Christ and His character demands that we put our childish ways behind us. It is only God’s divine nature that will allow us to overcome the folly of our human nature.
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As a person whose only graduation occurred more than a quarter century ago, I caught myself pondering what I might share with the young people who are taking this significant step in their journey. What follows are some things that came to mind.
1. Life is not a ride, it’s a journey. A ride is simply being carried along to wherever the vehicle happens to be going, while a journey has an ultimate destination, which requires some navigation and effort to complete. Unless we purpose in our heart to be someone or do something, we are likely to live life like a pinball; propelled by gravity and bouncing from one obstacle to another. Anything worthwhile in life will require some investment on our part; those who are unwilling to make such an investment will generally be pushed along by the winds of circumstance to some uncertain end.
2. Planting apple seeds won’t get you an orange tree. Just as dependable as the law of gravity is the concept that we will reap (i.e. harvest) what we sow (i.e. plant). Though this phrase is immediately recognizable to most people, there are few who actually live as though it were true. Our human nature will often cause us to be unforgiving with other people, while expecting generosity in return; to be deceptive about our motivations, while expecting others to deal with us honestly and to be selfish about our desires, while expecting others to be considerate of us. We must always remain conscious of the fact that the cup we use to dispense blessing, is the cup that we will eventually drink our blessings from.
3. What other people believe about you isn’t as important as what you believe about yourself. Only the things which we genuinely believe have the ability to impact how we live. Therefore the only words (positive or negative) that have the power to move us are those which we accept as truth. If a man concludes that he is a failure, no amount of praise or encouragement can bring him to victory; and if a man concludes that he is an over-comer, no amount of criticism can hold him back. While we are generally powerless to keep others from speaking about us, we possess the ultimate responsibility for what we are willing to accept as truth.
4. The bad guys don’t necessarily wear black, nor do the good guys necessarily wear white. It is very convenient to categorize people and things as either good or evil, but very few things (& even fewer people) actually fit well in either category. Because of our fallen nature, every man possesses the potential to do what is evil; and yet because we were created in the image of God, we also come with a capacity for righteousness. While few people are likely to pursue something that is clearly evil, all of us are susceptible to fall to those things which we have mistakenly classified as being “good”.
5. The pursuit of happiness is like chasing your shadow. Before we were in our mothers’ womb, God knew us and He created each one us to fulfill a unique place in His creation. If we never come to an understanding of what that place is, we spend our lives feeling empty and as though we never really fit in. Joy, contentment, fulfillment, happiness… cannot be the object of our pursuit; but undoubtedly they are the things that will accompany us if we pursue God and His purposes in our lives.
6. American Idolatry. In America we love the image of the rugged individualist, the “self-made” man and even the rebel; but because we were made to worship God, we will undoubtedly worship something and because we were made to be followers of God, we will undoubtedly follow something. Whatever we chose to worship and follow in this life will certainly be our provision in the next.
7. Don’t eat everything that is put in front of you. In the first chapter of the book of Daniel we see the Israelites being brought into exile, as the King of Babylon looks for the best & the brightest amongst their young people. His plan was to indoctrinate them into the Babylonian (i.e. pagan) way of thinking; and upon finding them he fed them from his very own table, which undoubtedly represented the best of what was available. We also learn that these young men were not willing to partake of everything that was set before them, which seems to have been a significant part of their preparation for the stunning victories that they would later experience (i.e. in the lions den & in the fiery furnace). Just as it was then, there is now a prince, who is seeking the best & the brightest young minds amongst God’s chosen people, so that he might indoctrinate them in the ways of this fallen world. Like their brothers from long ago, these young people must also be discerning of what is being offered and what they should digest.
8. Don’t chase the “American Dream”. The “American Dream” began simply as a promise of opportunity and freedom; but as that promise was realized, the dream evolved into something much less virtuous. Pursuit of this dream drives us to be more focused on what is seen (i.e. temporary) than on what is unseen (i.e. eternal); to prioritize our desires above the needs of others; and to derive our sense of worth & security from things instead of from our Creator. Like any dream, we are all destined to one day wake up and in that day we will face the ultimate reality, which is eternity.
9. Expect to meet resistance. We live in a culture that is obsessed with winning and that tends to portray the road to victory as a glorious parade; but the truth is that unless there is resistance, there is nothing to make us grow stronger. If the Son of God (a man with perfect faith), learned obedience from the things He suffered, we can be sure that this will be a part of our journey as well. As Children of God, we’ve been issued armor, given a sword and been called more than conquerors; undoubtedly the God who foreknew us was telling us what to expect.
10. You can always come home. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; undoubtedly this will be true in the years to come as well. In God’s mercy He does not require perfection of us, but He does expect sincerity. He is faithful to reward those who “diligently seek Him” and to work all things to the good of those who “love Him” and who are “called to His purpose”. Remember that no matter where your journey takes you, you’ve never traveled beyond the boundaries of His love.
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The book of Proverbs says that the way a man chooses to think will ultimately define who he is; and while many people in our society like to consider themselves a victim of circumstance, the aforementioned concept really puts the onus of responsibility squarely on the individual. Undoubtedly, many have suffered through difficult situations; but even so, we all still have the choice as to how we view our circumstances, ourselves, other people, the past, the present, the future… Ultimately, how we think will drive how we feel and in western culture, how we feel will likely shape our conception of reality. If light of this, taking a hard look at our thought patterns ought to give us a clearer picture of who we’ve actually become; and any efforts toward personal growth would seem to be rooted in a change to our thought process. Though there are some who might claim that we have no control over the thoughts that “pop into our head”, I believe that we are far more in control of that than we’d like to admit. In a sense our minds are a lot like our personal computers and as such, I offer the following:
Filters/Anti-Virus Programs: In our culture the idea of being “open minded” has become the only politically acceptable option; as if completely open or completely closed were the only viable choices. While I’m certainly not an advocate of a closed mind, prudence dictates that not just any thought should be entertained. Just as with our computers, there are some things that have the potential to come in and bog down our system operation or to completely disrupt its function. Just like a computer virus, there are some patterns of thought that threaten to infect other parts of our mind and ultimately the whole of our being. As such, we need to recognize that some things ought to be off limits and to protect our systems from those things. While most people wouldn’t dream of trying to operate their computer systems without some form of network protection, I would submit that many operate with no such constraints on their thoughts.
Pop-Ups/SPAM: Even when we do protect our systems, there are things that find their way onto our screens and when that happens, it often requires immediate attention. Unsolicited messages, from unknown sources, need to be evaluated before opening; infected messages must be quarantined and safely eliminated; and pop-ups generally just need to be deleted without regard. Clicking on some sites (even just once) can open up a world that can be hard to escape. As with our computers, the longer it takes for us to recognize the detrimental element of these things, the greater the damage done. While we may not always be able to control who shows up at our door, we can control who we let in.
Wallpaper: One of the great features of today’s computer and/or cell-phone screens is the ability to customize the background (i.e. “wallpaper”). On my cell-phone screen you’ll undoubtedly find pictures of my kids underneath the bright digits of the current time and the functional icons that default there. And while most of us will generally pick some cheerful image for our computer screens, the background of our mind often isn’t so festive. When we choose to hold on to the hurts/fears/disappointments/betrayals… of the past, we in a sense make this the “wallpaper” of our minds. In that case, everything that comes onto our screens is viewed against the backdrop of those painful experiences, thus tempering any joy and/or potential healing that might come our way. Just as with our computers, I believe that we ultimately control what image populates our default screen.
Screen Saver: Even if we’ve pretty much overcome the troubles of our past, most of us have issues going on presently which seem to want to dominate our thoughts. When we become overly focused on those issues, their proportions can easily become distorted. Suicide victims often have many positive aspects to their lives, but their focus on one particular situation or aspect generally causes them to completely lose sight of those things. When we dwell on one specific issue to excess, we in affect make it the “screen saver” for our mind. It becomes the place that our thoughts naturally gravitate back to when our mind is not actively engaged in something else. When we allow ourselves to obsessively worry about such issues, it can become like setting your screen saver to come on at every 15 second pause. You wind up having to constantly push that image from the screen in order to get anything else done. In such a case, we need to recognize that we’ve lost our perspective and that it will take action on our part to change our system settings.
Just as few people would leave their personal computer system completely unprotected, it seems doubtful that many would use images of their most traumatic, painful or humiliating moments as their “wallpaper” or “screen saver”. Yet I would submit that many of us are handling our thought life in this way. If that is the case, maybe it’s time to change those settings to something more uplifting and hopeful. Though this change may require more than just the punch of a button, the decision to press that button is a beginning in and of itself.
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Bjcorbin's Blog 
Successful Ministry
June 16, 2010 by bjcorbin
Over the course of several months the Lord spoke to me about what it means to be “successful” in ministry. During that period of time I was exposed to many types of ministry, in a variety of settings, and with numerous different ministers. While my initial impression was that defining what is successful ought to be fairly simple, my journey to a conclusion proved to be more involved than I imagined.
The Lord first challenged me on this subject at a large, conference type, event. A tremendous amount of prayer, and preparation, had gone into this event; and numerous individuals had indicated that they would take part in it. But when the day arrived, almost no one showed up. Understandably, the sense of disappointment was tangible, but in the midst of it I heard the Lord say, “I’m not disappointed”, as He directed my attention toward the small group of attendee’s. He reminded me of how all of heaven rejoices at the repentance of a single sinner, and He seemed to be challenging us to pour into these few souls with the same zeal we had for ministering to a crowd.
I realized that our unfulfilled expectations had caused us to feel as though everything had changed, but that God’s expectations for us hadn’t changed at all. I concluded that, to God’s way of thinking, the chance to touch even one heart warranted all of the effort that had gone into the event. This seemed to birth the question within me of what God views as “successful” ministry.
As with all things, Jesus is our model for ministry. But as I meditated on that I gained an interesting perspective. While the eternal ramifications of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection are undeniable to a Believer, would any modern Pastor aspire to the kind of credentials that Jesus could have claimed for His earthly ministry.
After all, He started with a dozen men that no self respecting church was likely to pursue; He traveled constantly, never really establishing any set location; His followers rarely seemed to grasp the things He said; other Ministers constantly talked about Him behind His back, and though He had a couple of well attended (revival) meetings, by the time His three year run was up, He could only claim a congregation of about 120; none of whom was willing to be seen with Him in town. Is this what God would hold up to us as the picture of success in ministry?
As I looked for an example of a “successful ministry”, my mind was quite naturally drawn to large, and well known, ministries. While we all know that it isn’t the numbers that really matter, it’s hard to deny that we tend to view “big” ministries as being “successful”. While having people positively respond to ministry is an obvious goal, ultimately the content of what is being ministered determines the eternal value of that kind of response (e.g. positively responding to a false prophet can result in many being deceived…).
On the other hand, if a minister faithfully executes the ministry that God gives him, and it is rejected by the people, does that make it unsuccessful? I would guess that in the eyes of most men such a ministry would be viewed as a failure; but in the eyes of God I believe that such a minister would likely be seen as a faithful servant. The scripture says that we are the “aroma of Christ”, which will smell like life to some, and like death to others, which would seem to indicate that how people respond to us is largely out of our control.
Would the Lord intentionally lead a faithful servant to a people that He knew would reject the message? I would submit that the scripture unequivocally supports that He would (see the Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, Stephen, John, Paul…). Thus, the manner in which people respond to ministry cannot be the measuring stick that ultimately determines it’s success, or failure. While we can plant, and water seeds, only God can bring the increase. As such, the “results” belong to Him. This conclusion is supported by Jesus ministry, which couldn’t boast widespread support from the people, and yet pleased His Father.
As I returned to the idea of Jesus’ pastoral resume, the one credential that every Minister would likely covet is the supernatural acts (i.e. the miracles) that accompanied His ministry. And while I believe that this is a feature that the Lord means to be an integral part of all that is done in His name, the question is whether tapping into supernatural power is necessarily indicative of “success” in ministry. While my unconscious impulse would have been to think that it is, I was quickly reminded of Jesus’ words for those who claimed to have prophesied, cast out demons, and to have performed “many miracles” in His name (Matthew 7:21-23). Though He didn’t refute their claims, He nevertheless rejected them based on the fact that He “never knew” them.
I was also reminded that Judas had been sent out with the other disciples, and that he’d undoubtedly been a part of the healings, and deliverances, that were accomplished in that period. Yet Jesus said that he was “doomed to destruction”. Jesus also warned of false prophets, performing great signs, and miracles at the end of the age. Cumulatively, these scriptures would seem to indicate that the manifestation of supernatural power is not necessarily a validation of the quality of the ministry, or even of the minister.
The Lord also reminded me that despite the incredible signs of Moses’ ministry, the people wanted to go back to Egypt; and that despite the amazing wonders of Elijah’s ministry, he did not see the nation turn back to God; and that despite the miraculous nature of Jesus ministry, the people rejected and crucified Him. While I believe that the Lord desires His children to walk in the supernatural power of God, it would seem that even this would not necessarily ensure our “success” in ministry.
As I continued to query the Lord on what was valuable to Him, He gave me a vision of Moses striking the rock in anger (Num 20:1-13). And He said that in that moment Moses had “misrepresented His heart to the people”. I could sense what a serious issue this was to the Lord, and a wave of conviction swept over me as I considered how often I’ve been guilty of this same thing.
He reminded me that Jesus said that He didn’t do anything that He didn’t see the Father do first, and I realized that what made Jesus the model for all ministry is that He walked in perfect fellowship with the Father. Always accurately conveying the Father’s heart to the people. By that standard, Jesus was the most successful minister that ever was, or ever could be.
As I pondered the spectrum of “ministry” that I have witnessed, I wondered at how much of it really met this standard. I thought of how many gifted ministers I’ve encountered, who bear little or no resemblance to Jesus, and of how many times I’ve heard such ministers use their “anointing”, or their “calling”, as their excuse for lacking in patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, self-control… The Lord impressed upon me how ridiculous it is for someone to claim that the manifestation of “His” Holy Spirit within them (e.g. the anointing) is what keeps them from acting like “His” Son, or from displaying the fruit of a life submitted to “His” Spirit.
I was reminded that Moses was a man of power, position, influence, and calling, who had a long history of faithful and fruitful service to the Lord; yet this failure was serious enough to God to keep Moses from entering the Promised Land. While we can have the gift of prophecy, have all knowledge, fathom all mysteries, have faith to move mountains, give all that we have to the poor and even be martyred, if these things don’t come through a heart of love, they amount to “nothing”.
As if to bring it all together, I felt like the Lord said that anytime we accurately reflect His heart, regardless of whether it is received, understood, accepted…, we’ve been successful in His eyes. Conversely, anything that doesn’t accurately reflect His heart doesn’t actually qualify as “ministry” to Him.
As I’ve continued to pray and meditate on these words, it occurred to me that Jesus’ strong connection to the Father was the thing that distinguished His earthly ministry from all others, and that ultimately it is the key for us. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he speaks of a man who has lost his connection to the “Head”, which supplies the whole body, causing it to grow; and it is difficult not to see a parallel with the current state of the Body of Christ in America. If a once robust human body continued to grow weaker, with its parts seemingly operating independently of each other, and with erratic function, the connection between the body and the head would be the area of prime concern. Yet somehow the Body of Christ seems to be looking elsewhere.
Ultimately, without that strong connection, we have little hope of accurately reflecting God’s heart to a lost and dying world. Isn’t that what the Lord was calling the nation to (2 Chronicles 7:14) when he said, “if My people, who are called by My name” (i.e. the Church), “will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways” (i.e. reconnect with God), “then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (i.e. supplying the body and making it strong again). The eyes of the Lord continue to range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are “fully committed” to Him (i.e. connected to His). If we look, we may find that the problem is simply a loose connection.
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