By Benson AMANYA
In the face of technology, Ministers now have digital cameras in front of us, live streaming to bigger audience all over the world. Every time a video or podcast from us is uploaded online, viewers multiply faster. We are such massive influencers online and offline. What more do we need?
With titles behind our names, quite a number of qualifications alongside massive followers what more would you need with such trendy name and fame?
I will say; we need more of God and less of ourselves. We are just living vessels that should be in constant communion with Christ as He fills us up. When we are full of ourselves, we limit God’s righteous works in us. Being full of oneself is nothing else but an exaggerated sense of self-worth.
I have seen some Ministers whose Appointment for Ministry is out for auction. The highest bidder is one that affords a heavy and ‘smiling’ amount packed in an envelope. Imagine God-given gifts out for sale!
We tend to suffer from what I have termed as “arrival syndrome”. The likelihood of ministering from just a place of experience is so high. A place of revelation, new anointing and Prayer connection is left to ‘Upcoming ministers’ since for us we have arrived.
Do you ever get this inflated idea that you are the most important Minister! The truth is God never runs out of options. We are not the only available vessel for God to use but rather one of the many available vessels.
How many times have we enjoyed the comfort of being referred to as MIGHTY Men/Women of God rather than Man/woman of a Mighty God?
Man was created by God and for God. It’s not about us that we should do things in our way but about Him who uses us. Shall we choose to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit not personal outlook!
Often times we get swallowed up in our; good voices, good outlooks, good command of Languages, good command of instrument keys, wide spreading name and fame and so on. This makes us feel the most important in every given Ministry.
Imagine a breed of Ministers who don’t participate in; Personal devotions, Worship sessions, do not appear in Prayer meetings, Brethrens’ Fellowships and only appear when needed and disappear after. They serve as hired servants or mercenaries. Fellow Servants of Christ, please note that, we need to be part of daily Church life too. We need to be fed in order to feed others.
Naked we come to life, with nothing, all we have, God has given us. Every God -given gift is for edification of God’s Church not a platform to popularize and commercialize us. This should be our Prayer; ‘God empty me of me to be used by you.
Empty me of my over bearing Pride, my offensive display of superiority and self-importance. The emptiness of self is in order that Christ may get in, and then Compassion and Service is in order that Christ may get out to others.
Philippians 2:3-5: “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
Serving God is not about impressing the crowd. It is not about crafting a brand name or building own empire. The work of God is about faithfulness to the divine call. Let us desist from showmanship and choose to show up everyday determined to follow and popularize Christ.
The writer is a Student of Theology at Uganda Christian University-Mukono|bentamanya@gmail.com
The two go hand in hand … i guess there is a part missing in this article because, i have for many times seen you post yourself about ministry you have … Does this make you the above? I think you can as well be known for serving God and for living for God without necessarily being what you have mentioned above. Some are scare not because they dont want to show up but just because they have many assignments to handle … i support your discussion but look at it in two ways … some are what you say … Majority who do what you have mentioned including yourself are good ministers of God we can trust.
I think Ben you need another master’s in theology and especially from the western countries either US or UK; after reading your submission here on the website I have realised that some of us as priests, pastors are just becoming showbees with daily pics almost televangelists
I think Ben you need another master’s in theology and especially from the western countries either US or UK; after reading your submission here on the website I have realised that some of us as priests, pastors are just becoming showbees with daily pics almost televangelists. You need to translate these themes or knowledge to the audience especially those in theological seminaries
Self exaltation in ministry leads to downfall.
This article reminds me that it’s more of God and less of me. I am just a vessel, more so a leaking one. Lord empty me of me and use me for your glory.
Thank you Ben Amanya for the timely message.
One of the key statements I have seen and it struck home is;
“We tend to suffer from what I have termed as “arrival syndrome”. The likelihood of ministering from just a place of experience is so high. A place of revelation, new anointing and Prayer connection is left to ‘Upcoming ministers’ since for us we have arrived.”
This is a deadly place that does exist and many times entered subtly.
May God help us to be have the humility of Christ displayed in Phil 2.
Thanks Ben for the reminder and admonishon.
Hello Ben. Thank you for constantly thinking about the Church and gospel workers by voicing out realities within. The Apostle Paul warns us of this great vice in most of his epistles, but it seems most of us hardly read through these warnings and his divine exhortations to desire to be the Lords’ instrumentation, what a great noble task we miss!…..its unfortunate that we crave for and pursue ( self righteousness) never adds up to kingdom building, what a waste of time!….. One great theologian once put it similarly as below:
I quote…..
“We have hundreds of jellyfish clergymen who seem not to have a single bone in their body of divinity. They have no definite opinions; they belong to no school or party; they are so afraid of extreme views that they have no views at all. We have thousands of jellyfish sermons preached every year, sermons without an edge or a point or a corner, smooth as billiard balls, awakening no sinner, and edifying no saint. We have legions of jellyfish young men annually turned out from our universities, armed with a few scraps of second hand philosophy, who think it a mark of cleverness and intellect to have no decided opinions about anything in religion, and to be utterly unable to make up their minds as to what is Christian truth ….”J. C. Ryle
The results of not comprehending the true purpose as to why we are called by our Lord Jesus!
Thank you Ben.
Blessings.
Stephen.
To People that have taken your precious time to read through.. Thank you so much..
Am humbled with this ur submission, may God continue to fill and annoit you for his service.
Wow , a nice article many servants have tried to work as mercenaries who just come when needed and leave when done with the assigned responsibilities.
It’s a call to us as ministers to examine our ways, we are like a socket for charging phones unless the cable is connected to the socked and also a charger has to be connected to the phone. Therefore there should be a connection from the main power source that’s God and the son Jesus Christ. Every point is necessary, we need to be equally available all the times not only when we are needed. There are Christian principles that we should for us to be drawn towards Christlike life some are individual like devotions and prayer life and others cannot be done without a group like church services, fellowship, coprate prayer retreats.
Thanks to the author.