(Galatians 5:26 AMP) Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.
I love this verse, but it surely does bring me down when I start flying high! I don't mean when I am fellowshipping with Jesus, but when, in the presence of other believers and among other preachers I want to "show off" or "put down". THAT is the FLESH and is what Paul denied, denounced, and declared DEAD! It is what you and I must do also.
Regardless of the size of the church I pastor, the number of baptisms I see, the amount of people who walk the isles, etc, the truth of the matter is that God COUNTS, so I don't have to worry about the REAL results.
Paul said that if any had reason to boast, he did, but he didn't boast! He simply gloried in the LORD! In our day of almost extreme technology one can hear almost any kind of teaching he wishes and even the child of God can be led to believe something that is not accurate IF he/she does not "rightly divide the Word of Truth".
For example, I do not know this from personal experience because I do not watch or listen to TV preachers, good or bad, but I am told that one of the famous ones does not believe in hell. I am reminded of the two churches across the street from each other: One put on the marque "There is no hell" and the other across the street responded with "The Hell there ain't". The point is that if you are looking for something to believe other than truth you can find it with some TV preacher.
Of course, there are some good ones, and there is no doubt about that! But, you know, it is the same with books one reads ABOUT the Bible, commentaries, or whatever. The thing that got the JEWS in trouble with God was that they leaned more heavily upon what the rabbis taught that on what God said. I'm not sure things are much different with many of us. You hear preachers quoting Doctor so and so. Who cares? It is what GOD SAYS THAT MATTERS, not what Doctor so and so says about what God says.
My point is that when we compare ourselves to and with ourselves we become vain in our imagination, according to Scripture. God has gifted each of us and no two of us are identical. I am NOT an evangelist, but everywhere I go I talk about Jesus. Sometimes I plant and sometimes I water, but which ever I do, it is God who give the increase and he who sows and he who reaps receives the same reward.
My heart is so burdened for the CHURCH of today where so many older godly men and women are pushed aside because of methods or music or some meaningless thing - all in the name of the Lord, when we are to WORK AT KEEPING THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE!
Nobody much seems to have anything to say unless they have a NAME or a "SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY" of some kind, when Paul warns us of the vanity and conceit of competition, envy and jealousy. They are dangerous and deadly sins. We are told to "...walk humbly before our God..."
It is my prayer that all of us (in and out of "ministry") may learn of these dangers and understand that ministry is about people, not about position, popularity, or prosperity, and it is FOR and IN THE NAME OF JESUS! To Him be glory and honor both now and forever, world without end. AMEN!
BLESSINGS!
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