As a minister I am challenged by the apostle Paul.
First what he prays for the people he ministered to in Philippi to whom he wrote; he prays that
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they will grow in love,
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they will grow in knowledge, in revelation, in discernment.
Question : What am I praying for the people I lead, what am i asking God to do in their lives, do i get so caught up in the temporal needs of people that i fail to cry out for inward transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit, and revelation of God?
Then he tells them that his joy will overflow in knowing that
- they are united in thought, in love, in feelings and that
- they are pursuing the same objective.
This is the thing that his heart desires for his people. Question :What does my heart desire for the people I lead; what makes me happy concerning them, what is the work of God in their lives that gets me excited, what kind of testimonies thrill me?
And he encourages them to
- obedience,
- live a life worthy of the gospel, and still more to
- contend for the faith
- accept to suffer for the gospel
- be humble
Do i preach these things or i simply scratch their itch and nourish their carnal desires so they keep coming back to feed my famished ego every week; do i fear to call for obedience, godly living, humility, unity and an evangelistic lifestyle for fear of boring people? Paul didn't.
I am challenged by Paul. My consistent prayer is God, whatever you did to Paul, do to me.
I thank you for your constant desire to see us grow in God's revelation and in love. I confirm that what truly delights you is not the number of people in your church or your reputation, but the transformation that God works in each of us and the radical conversions! May God be glorified in our lives and may he boast of us as he boasted of Job.