Continuing On…
In my previous post I was inquiring as to the influence wealthy people were being afforded in the Body of Christ . I was hoping to hear from others in different places and discover either a widespread issue or more of a regional/local one. I enjoyed the interaction on the matter very much and while some posted others called for more in-depth and on occasion intense interaction. It is interesting how the issue of money has the ability to stir up a variety of responses. I will freely admit that finances are an issue in my life as well.
Everyday we make decisions that are related to what our abilities, financially speaking, are. From simple things like going out to eat or buying a soda to weightier matters that have us choosing between purchasing a needed prescription or paying the mortgage. Our financial status at any given moment bears influence that we may not even recognize in regular situations but when an appliance goes out, the kids are needing something extra or medical issues arise our awareness level certainly increases then.
Is it right to give honor, respect or influence to someone based on their financial status? This is the question that I am seeking more interaction on.
Is Money The Qualification?
In a recent conversation with a brother he said something to me that struck a chord that is continuing to resonate in me. We were talking about how the Body of Christ is being matured and brought together in various places and in various ways. As he was sharing with me about the manner in which the Body has been coming together in his hometown he was saddened that it seemed that for all the good information and teaching that had been brought in by various men of God, the gathering to specific leaders was rooted in something less healthy than the revelation of the Lord. Many of the people in his city were gathering around leaders that had a common quality – financial wealth. He quoted another brother’s read on the circumstance and it is that quote that has been stirring me deeply; “The Body of Christ will not mature until rich men are no longer the leaders.”
Before anybody gets all bent out of shape or starts to think I am attacking wealth as something evil I am not. Nor am I going to espouse the spiritual goodness of poverty. Both those arguments are the creation of men to defend their condition or to give “good” reasons for their disregard for brothers and sisters in Christ who are not in the same condition as them. I’ve heard both of these arguments and have found both to be well crafted, deeply held and basically useless in the life of most believers. These are not rooted in following the Spirit of God, these are simply “spiritual” prejudices creating an excuse to behave poorly.
Our connection to or submission to a leader in the Body of Christ ought to have nothing to do with their net worth. If we are choosing the leaders based on their income level or success rate in the business world because we see that as somehow being connected to God’s approval and anointing as a leader we already have plenty of those in the Word of Faith circles. It would seem clear to me, at least, that we don’t need more of those leaders. As the Lord unfolds His purpose and plan into this generation the need is for those who are more mature to simply live out what it means to be led by the Spirit, to live out what it is to be a son of God. A person’s portfolio is not ever going to be the standard for such.
If Jesus said that those who trust in wealth are going to have a hard time entering the Kingdom (mark 10:23-25) can we make wealth the basis for our esteem of a leader? I fear that too often the cultural view and value of the wealthy man has influence over the Body’s view of leadership quality. it is time to let that cultural stigma about wealth no longer have sway in the Body of Christ. We are told again and again that God is looking into the heart of a men not their viewable traits to choose leaders. we must stop contradicting the Lord’s ways and instead let His ways be enough.
May the Lod continue this work in us all…
It Ain’t Hard
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Cor. 11:3(niv)
The life that believers in Jesus are called to and given is not really all that hard. Which is a huge contradiction to all the information, education and energy that has been developed, promoted and invested to “equip” the saints of God for their purposes. Trust me in the realms of this religion called Christianity there is as much competition for the outlets of influence as that which exists for food court space in a busy shopping mall or airport. the ideas of “sincere and pure” have been disregarded in the pursuit of high customer traffic and budget maintenance. All the while the call of the Lord, “Come and Follow Me.”, remains the foundation for everything.
It has become increasingly interesting to find that while I have been harshly accusatory towards the institution on this matter it is easily found in just about every circle of people who are “trying” to follow the Lord. We all desire to have the right language, the right connections, the right beliefs and the right understanding of matters that we believe are important to the kingdom. But who is setting the standard for what is right. It is still the insecurity of not finding one’s place that allows the ideas or insights of others to move from the position of helpfulness to somehow becoming the standard of things about the faith. When this occurs we have just given up the “pure” devotion and have become those with divided hearts; trying to serve two masters – the living God and the good opinion of those we want to be a part of.
When our faith can be shifted and tossed about based on who is informing it, then have we not also lost the “sincere” devotion we started with? Maybe it is the result of our quick fix culture or our fad of the week approach to life, but it seems that many brothers and sisters in the faith are highly informed about but poorly equipped for the life of following the Lord. The pursuit of information has become the replacement for actual relationship based entrance into the activity of the kingdom of God. We are sincere, sincerely committed to a chameleon like existence that bears the image of the current information but bears little of the image of Christ.
Paul spoke an incredible word of freedom that to walk in creates the framework for “sincere and pure devotion to Christ”. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (romans 8:14) When it comes to our devotion to Christ it really is more about Who you know than what you know. When we follow the Lord in the Spirit of the Lord we are free, really free to love, obey and display Him. And in the doing of this we are putting on display the life that is not hard but rather as simple as breathing. I am fully convinced, it ain’t hard.
This is not a declaration that education and learning has no value, quite the opposite. I fully believe that we can never stop learning and that learning is a vital aspect of our growth. But learning is not the goal of our lives, living in the purposes of God is. Learning ought to equip us to do so with more understanding and freedom. My good friend and a father in the faith, Leo Free, recently put out an encouraging and informative piece that I believe would be helpful to any believer. (www.completelove.net then click on the letter tab) Another man who I deeply appreciate, Sam Soleyn, an apostle of the faith has an amazing series on the House of God, that gives amazing insight into the times we are living in as they relate to the kingdom. (www.soleyn.org click on downloads tab and get the entire series) Both of these are educational, you will learn and you will gain information, but if they are not allowed to become part of your equipping and therefore your living, they end up having far less value. They simply become deceptions that cause us to move away from our , “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
I want to close with a simple example, marriage. I am always married to my wife, when we are in the same room or we are a thousand miles apart, my wife is my wife and I am to be devoted and faithful to her regardless of any proximity in any moment. Now if there is an area that I may need to learn and apply some things in my life that will assist me in my being a husband to her then I ought to seek that out. However, the source of that information or assistance does not somehow take on a more important role in my life than my wife, if that happens then I am actually less faithful and less devoted to my wife. But in proper use and context that source can be extremely helpful and then become a blessing to me and my wife and actually encourage and strengthen my devotion and faithfulness to her. So it ought to be with any source of information or insight into the things of the Lord, our “sincere and pure devotion to CHrist” ought to only be strengthened. It ain’t that hard.
So learn it and live it. We must have both. And for the sake of your health and your sanity, do not make learning it the end goal – live it out in sincere and pure devotion to Christ. One more time…. say it with me…. IT AIN’T THAT HARD.