Last week, we considered Walking Quietly And Eating Your Own Bread In Ministry. But today we are looking at something that is like a follow up to that, something so close to that, and that is important for us as ministers of the Gospel, as men and women called by God for the work of Ministry. Today we are looking at The Secrets For Honor And Dignity In The Work of Ministry. Without honor and dignity, there is very little a minister could do, because what you have to do as a minister of the gospel, as a servant of Christ Jesus is before men. And if the people don't honor you, if you don't have dignity as a person, as a man or a woman in the ministry, there is little result that you may produce. Except God has called you in the place of prayer and intercession. But should God have a call on your life that involves you reaching out to the people, interacting with the people, there is the place of honor and dignity in your acceptance and in your fruitfulness in the work of ministry.
Listen To Podcast: THE SECRETS FOR HONOUR AND DIGNITY IN THE WORK OF MINISTRY
I am sure you know you cannot overemphasize the place of honor. But before we get so deep into that, I want us to consider a portion of the Bible in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and I will read from verse 9-12. The Bible says:
"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."
Apostle Paul acknowledged that these people had brotherly love. However he concluded verse 9 by saying that they should increase more and more. Now, that is what they were doing well at. They had brotherly love among themselves. And so because that was already on ground, doing the work of ministry was actually going on. However, if they must move on and produce more results in ministry, being able to win more souls unto God, then something must be done in addition to that. And that is what the Bible says in verse 11 "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life." And that is the first secret we are considering today. Aspire to lead a quiet life. It says further "to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,"
Now if you could do these three, if these three can be operational in your life and in your ministry, see what apostle Paul said they should be expecting in verse 12; "that you may walk properly toward those who are outside." The question is: What does it mean to walk properly toward those who are outside? Another way we can put it is to have healthy self-esteem, to have good self-worth. And you see, a man or a woman who does not have good self-esteem or self-worth, who lacks self confidence or who feels small or ashamed, is a person who is in dishonor. Now if you are honored by anyone or by any people, the normal thing is that you should actually have good self-esteem, good self-worth.
Now it says "that you may walk properly." There is a proper way to walk. It is not walking shamefully, it is not being afraid of your neighbors or being afraid of your associate at work or being ashamed in your family. It is you walking properly. You have healthy self-esteem and you know who you are. And why do you know who you are? You are confident in God for the man or the woman you have become as a person in ministry. It is because number one: You lead a quiet life. And number two, you mind your own business, and number three, you work with your own hands. You see, what has robbed many ministers of the gospel, what has robbed many people who are in the work of ministry of honor and dignity, even in their own families, is this issue that Apostle Paul was dealing with.
Now quite a number of people beyond carrying their Bibles and reading them and praying in tongues, there is nothing else that their families could see as a show of their work with God. Apart from the Bible that they can quote from morning till evening, there is little to show. Their lives do not show anything about God and yet, they want people to commit their lives to what they are saying. You see, it would be easier for many preachers to say "do as I say, but don't do as I do." "Follow my words, don't follow my life because there is hardly anything in my life that you would love to follow or you will learn from."
Apostle Paul however said if you want to have honor in your family, have honor in your neighborhood, have honor in your community, in your city; in your organization, if you want to have honor in your generation, you must do these three things: You must aspire and make it like the desire and focus of your life. Make it like your life ambition. Make it your priority. Aspire to lead a quiet life. Live a quiet life. Walk around quietly. Number two: Mind your own business, and number three, work with your own hands. If you do that, Apostle Paul believes as the Lord inspired him, that you will be able to walk properly toward those who are outside, and you will be able to lack nothing.
You see, it is not enough for you to know the Bible. There are certain things that God has instituted that are expected to produce the resources that you require in ministry. Many people don't lack honor per say; what they lack is something to survive on. And now Apostle Paul admonished and says: don't just aspire to lead a quiet life, also mind your own business. Jesus was quoted when He was twelve by saying "Don't you know I must be about my Father's business." And in the book of John chapter 17 verse 4. Jesus said "I have glorified you on the earth, I have finished the work that you ask me to do."
There is a business that God has committed into your hands. There is something about your life, about your purpose and about the plans of God for your life. There is something God expects you to carry out in your own neighborhood, in your own street, in your own generation. And the question is: how much time do you commit to it daily? Do you give it part of your time or do you give it all your time? Apostle says mind your own business, focus on your business, give time, and give your money to your business. Pour your affection to your business. When you are praying, pray for your business. When you are searching the word of God for solutions, search the word of God for your business. Do research for your business. If you must fast and pray, do it for your business.
There is a place I want us to read in Song of Solomon chapter 1 verse 6. It is a popular verse for many people, but not all. It says:
Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has [e]tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard I have not kept.
This is the problem of many people today. They don't have issues taking care of other peoples' things. It is only their thing that must suffer. If anything must fail, it is their things. If any marriage must fail, it is their marriage. If any child must be destroyed, it is their own child. They hardly have time for their own but have time for other peoples' own. Yet, when it is time for each one of us to be judged by God, we will not be judge by the things that others are expected to do. We will be judged by the things that we are expected to do and that are what faithfulness means. You must as a minister mind your business. Others are doing fine or aren't doing fine should be just for information sake. The one you have responsibility for is your own work. What God has committed into your hands is that which God will judge you on.
I am sure you still remember the story of the talent in Matthew 25:14-30. The Master gave His servants talents, one He gave five, one He gave two and one He gave one, and He went. And when He returned, the one who got five brought another five, the two brought another two and the one brought the same one he was given. Now when it was time for the Master to reward and punish them, He punished them individually and rewarded them individually. He did not punish one for what the other did. That is it.
In ministry, you will be judged rightly or wrongly by the things you have been called to do. That is why you must mind your business. Another thing he admonishes is "work with your own hands." You know if emphasis is not put there, people will have love to read it like "work with hand." Some people would even say since their own hands is not involved, there is no need to commit their hands into it. People don't have issues giving responsibilities to others. They just have issues with getting things done themselves. Now Apostle Paul says "work with your own hands." Don't work with the hands of your friends, don't work with the hands of your neighbors, don't work with the hands of your families, don't work with the hands of other people, work with your own hands.
Allow your own works to produce what your mouth will eat. You must labour; get your own hands involved. That is why Bible says anyone who lay his hands on the plough and look back is not fit for the kingdom. That shows the responsibility that God has entrusted into our hands. Our hands are critical in our survival and in our success. Apostle Paul says "work with your own hands." Ecclesiastes 9:10, the Bible says: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." That is why God does not just bless us as a people; God blesses the work of our hands. It is the works that we do with our hands that will enjoy the blessings of God. If you are praying that God should increase you, God should multiply you, and you have little or nothing that you are doing, and then you have little or nothing to be blessed with by God.
The more things that are committed into your hands, the more things have the tendency to be blessed or multiplied by God. So if you want honor and dignity in your ministry, another phrase we can use for the two is influence and affluence, if you want to have influence with people, influence over people; if you want to have affluence, if you want to have more money, more resources; then you must be a man, you must be a woman who leads a quiet life, who works with his or her hands, and who minds his or her business. If you can lead a quiet life. It is not about the noise. It is not about the noise your life is producing, it is about the impact and the results your life is producing. If you can produce great impact in your generation; without making noise, if you can mind your own business, succeeding at your own task, and not succeeding at other people's tasks but failing at your own task; if you can work with your own hands and not just working with your mouth, with your heart, if you are working with your own hands, engaging your strength and your life resources in the assignment that God has given unto you, then you will have dignity in your ministry and you will have honor among men.
It is important you understand these things and if you can practice them, if you can put them into practice, then you will have result to show. Don't become fulfilled in every other thing outside your own dreams. Learn to appreciate your dreams. Your dreams could look so small to you now. But very soon, they will become very big. Your dreams could look very big to you now, very soon, they will be achieved. Allow your dreams to become the focus of your passion. Don't seek to fulfill other peoples' dreams. Fulfill your own dream. God gave you that dream, fulfill it. It is worthy of being fulfilled. Don't forget, lead a quit life, mind your business and work with your own hands. And if you do this, Bible says you will be able to walk properly among those who are outside, you have good reputation and good influence, you are a man, a woman of honor and then, you will lack nothing. You will lack nothing that pertain to life and godliness, and the Lord will be glorified in the earth because of you.
Remember what Jesus said: I have finished the work you have given unto me to do. I have glorified you on the earth. What brings glory to God is you fulfilling your dreams, fulfilling the purpose of God for your life, it is you attending to the task of your calling, it is you minding your business and allowing God bless the works of your hands. As you do this, I see God shifting you forward in ministry, I see the hand of God resting mightily upon you, lifting you through all the challenges of life, eve as you lead a quiet life, as you mind your business, and as you work with your own hands, and God will be glorified on the earth in Jesus' name.
It's been a great joy to connect with you again on this edition of Forms & Patterns™. Till we meet again, stay in ministry, stay living quietly, your life being peaceful, stay minding your business, and also stay working with your hands.
God bless you.
