Sitting in prison, Paul the apostle noted that some of those preaching the gospel of Christ did so out of envy, pride and a heart toward self-exaltation. Some desired to gain publicity and power within the new church. Because of jealousy, they preached against Paul, as though he deserved his imprisonment. My guess, they preached a form of the prosperity gospel, to gain popularity among the people. Yet, Paul did not let their hard hearts reduce His joy that, at least-they did preach Jesus for salvation. Paul realized that we cannot know the heart of every preacher. At least, not completely. However, God does and stands as final judge of the heart. Therefore, we must not get caught up in jealousy in the ministry of Christ.
That can be very hard; because, we look around and see other ministries prospering while ours struggles financially. Sometimes, we wonder (or at least I do at times); if perhaps, my humble ministry of writing has any value. When I see so many ministries that flourish financially or whose numbers rise to reach millions; I ask myself, should I quit writing and instead invest my money in other ministries, instead of sacrificing so much for this one. Ah, but then there comes a message, one person whose life changed or touched by my humble ministry; a reminder that God sends to tell me–this ministry is His. Furthermore, this ministry is not about me: it is about Jesus Christ and His gospel message for the world. Therefore, I keep writing and will leave the harvest to God, Himself.
THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST PROCLAIMED
Paul knew this truth all too well. While some preachers rose to fame; he sat in a jail cell. He never knew the full impact that his letters would have on all the generations of Christians to follow. We don’t know even the names of those preachers who rose to positions of fame and power in that time; however, we all know the name of Paul the apostles; whose letters found the depth of our knowledge of the gospel truth.
15 Some, of course, are preaching the Good News because they are jealous of the way God has used me. They want reputations as fearless preachers! But others have purer motives, 16-17 preaching because they love me, for they know that the Lord has brought me here to use me to defend the Truth. And some preach to make me jealous, thinking that their success will add to my sorrows here in jail! 18 But whatever their motive for doing it, the fact remains that the Good News about Christ is being preached, and I am glad. Philippians 1
STEPS TO AVOID JEALOUSY
- Don’t worry about the numbers or the results-just do what God has asked you to do in the ministry of Christ
- Don’t look at the success of others and evaluate God’s love for them as more or less than His love for you. Keep your eyes focused on God
- Pray unceasingly
- See your trials as stepping stones to His Glory
- Ask God to show you how His Glory can be displayed through your suffering
- Keep in the word, every day–morning and night
- Trust God to provide your needs as He has promisedIf you don’t know how to accept Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link, email me by clicking here or comment here
CONCLUDING TWEETS:
[tweetthis]There is no room for Jealousy in the Ministry of Christ[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”Whether the ministry God calls you to is grand or humble; remember it is His Ministry you serve” username=”effiedarlene”][bctt tweet=”Remember, ‘It is not about me, it must only be about Jesus Christ and His Glory'” username=”effiedarlene”]
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
I just released this new book dedicated to anyone who searched for love, lost a loved one, or felt the pangs of loneliness. Illustrated by Ronald Barba, this poem I wrote: tells the story of God’s ever abiding love even when facing tragedy and heartbreak. Available on Amazon.
Other books I wrote can be reviewed at:
RECOMMENDATION OF ARTIST
This is an original Drawing by an amazing artist. Check out his work: http://roninron.com .You cannot copy or duplicate this picture without permission; because of copyright laws.
featured photograph at beginning of post by permission of Ben White at Unsplash
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.