What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice… Phil 1:18 NASB
When I read the verses preceding this one (Phil 1:15-17), I couldn’t help but wonder how anyone could truly preach the gospel out of selfish ambition. But over the past few days God has been showing me how easy it is for me to minister out of selfish ambition.
There are times when the fulfillment of successful ministry can be a spiritual rush that leaves me giddy and riding high on the feeling of success. Then there are other times when I see fellow believers doing what I long to do – and doing it much better than I feel I can. In those moments envy rears its ugly head and I see so clearly how easy it is to minister out of selfish ambition.
The joy of my heart is knowing that God is working that out of me. He is transforming me into the servant He desires for me to be. I still have far to go. There is still much pride and envy to work out of my heart. But, even recently I have seen evidence that He is taking control of places in my heart that were previously filled with envy.
So, my challenge is to imitate Paul in this and rejoice over the ministry of those around me. It might be fellow pastor’s wives, fellow bloggers, fellow homeschoolers, or even fellow church members as we band together to truly reach this community. It might be someone ministering with complete purity of heart or someone ministering out of selfish ambition. Whatever the case and whoever it may be, may my heart be as Paul’s – may I rejoice with them, knowing that Christ is proclaimed.
No comments:
Post a Comment