Not all is what it seems…

It’s very evident when you see the anointing of God upon an individual. You can see it in the way they preach, the way they prophesy, and when they perform miracles. It’s possible to move in the anointing but not please God. How do I know? After hearing many different stories about anointed pastors and ministers I believe it is possible. There’s a great pastor of a church of literally thousands upon thousands but admitted his shortcomings as a father and husband. You’ve got a televangelist who does miracle crusades yet divorces his wife because his ministry comes first. I’ve got nothing against these great ministers and pastors who have paved the way but hearing things like these makes you shudder at the thought that, that could be me.

It’s possible to be consumed with ministry whether you’re a church member or the church pastor. And you may be spiritually gifted when it comes to discipleship and ministering to God’s people. But how is your character? Your relationship with Christ? Is Jesus still seated at the throne of your heart? It’s possible to be blindsided by the success of the ministry or even use the ministry and application of spiritual gifts to hide our shortcomings and lack of character. We get so consumed with the ministry because we’re so good at it that our hearts end up far from God. We digress from a heart that seeks after God to a heart that looks to what God can do in and through us. That latter sounds good and it is good but when that becomes the end in itself then we’re no longer looking to God but to the things of God.

Allow me to rephrase the author of Hebrews, “Great men and women have lived out a life of faith hinged on God and are cheering us on to do the same by setting aside and letting go of every issue whether it be sin, a false burden, or unnecessary doubt, and to pursue the purposes God has for us by fixing our eyes on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who through the shameful cross laid the foundation of our faith and continues to be the cornerstone for our day to day faith…”

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