#2ARE YOU LEAVING TOO? COMPARISON
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part 2. Are you leaving too... COMPARISON.
TEXT:
John 6:2 And the great multitude followed Him,
because THEY SAW MIRACLES which Jesus had done on those with diseases.
John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples WENT BACK, AND WALKED NO MORE WITH HIM.
Romans 12:19 says: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, neither give place to wrath, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, saith the Lord.
1 Corintians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you will be ABLE TO BEAR IT.
Many of my readers are Christian workers.
It is my desire to encourage, hold up, and spur all that will read to greater vision and action. Many are hurting and considering, what the use, I will throw up my hands and quit. God wants you to try again.
We are in a war. We often misidentify the enemy?
We often feel so lonely and fear our work is unnoticed.
Most that will read this are feel like little nobodies, and have heard little applause and appreciation.
DON’T EVER FORGET THAT JESUS LOVES YOU AND HE CARES ABOUT YOU.
DON’T FORGET WHAT YOU KNOW.
My two year old Grandson Brandon has taught me a new word: "ME?"
I will be playing with Matthew, my 5 year old grandson, and Brandon will come up to me and say, "ME?"
I was telling him a Bible story of how Jesus loved Stephen, and Brandon said, "ME?"
I said, "YES, YOU!"
I was going some where and Brandon came to Paw, (me) and said, "ME?"
I said, "Sure get in the Blue, my ford truck."
I was talking to my wife the other day, I simply said "ME?"
Stop and let’s sing:
Jesus loves "ME?" yes, I KNOW, for the Bible tells "ME?" so.
Little ones to Him belong, they are WEAK but (HONEY) HE is strong...
YES --Jesus loves "ME?", Yes, Jesus loves "ME?",
Yes Jesus loves "ME?", the Bible tells "ME?" so.
You are very valuable to God!
I can prove your value? God GAVE His only Son --- NOW THAT IS VALUE.
I see a real problem with self doubt, THAT CAUSES GOD’S PEOPLE TO NEVER REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.
We have labored and given everything and we don’t see the results that we envisioned or expected.
Need I say that others expected?
The honeymoon is over. We have smelled the bad breathe?
We have seen people problems? We have seen the great obstacles?
We have heard the GIANT make his boast?
Others have told us, you can’t do it? We didn’t need to hear that, see, we already knew we couldn’t do it?
In dry times and lean times, it is easy to doubt your self and your call.
By doubting your call, you doubt God.
God calls and God enables, without God there is nothing.
We must recognize spiritual seasons and prepare.
Any man releasing doubt and self doubt will have a better focus and vision.
This is like manure to the weeds.
WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO LEAVE?
WHY LOOK BACK?
5. A QUITTING SPIRIT AND SELF DOUBT CAN BE ROOTED IN WATCHING OTHERS, A RIVALRY SPIRIT, KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES,
COMPETITION WITHIN.
2 Corthinians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or COMPARE OURSELVES with them that commend themselves, and COMPARING themselves by themselves among themselves, ARE NOT WISE.
As a young preacher, I had a friend that was a young preacher himself. He tried to comb his hair like that great TV Evangelist, he practiced talking like the TV preacher.
He even got the TV preacher’s news letter and would preach the TV man’s sermons.
When the great TV man went under, we young preachers learned... a great lesson ---
PHILIPPIANS 3:3... HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.
I must be doing something wrong, if others are more blessed than I?
We know God wants every congregation to be over 100, or is that 200?
I must be a bad preacher and doing wrong if I am not flying in a jet at 45,000 feet?
This breeds a BA, bad attitude, If God wants every church to be 5,000, and own a mansion and drive a Rolls Royce, and I have pastored a church and we run 35,
and I have to pay the bills out of my pocket, I am not a MAN of God?
I must be a failure?
Is there any truth to: Promotion almost always comes after TESTS!
That church over there has a million dollar budget, and we just barely make it, I am doing something wrong. I have no great ecclestialal success sheets? I should just quit?
IS GROWTH ALL NUMBERS?
IF GROW IS ALL NUMBERS THAN GRAVEYARDS ARE GOD’S BEST WORK?
Numbers matter for every soul is a number, but the focus must be on the Word of God and relationships.
If this is true, the graveyards are increasing, they are more successful than I am?
I know where a graveyard is 99% full, is this pleasing to God?
God measures success different from the flesh. Noah, after a century of ministry only saw 8 believers?
I believe that THE ARK probably had a lot of stink on board? Wit eight people and all those animals the stink grew? But with all that the ARK was still the best ship a float.
I watch T.D. Jakes and I am so blessed, makes me ashamed of my ability?
Why should I even want to try?
Sure we want growth and a reign of peace, shall we abort every struggling church?
Will this looking at how small we are? Listening to how great they are improve us?
Self doubt grows and breeds by looking at reality in a distorted manner.
Counting numbers alone, will this bring joy?
Comparing budgets will this make me better?
Where is my airplane?
I have picked up pop bottles and sold them for five cents each, and bought macaroni and cheese for my family to eat, I must be doing something wrong?
I traveled six years playing Southern Gospel music, and been applauded and asked for my autograph. I have picked the guitar to standing ovations, since I have pastored 22 years, no one has sought my autograph.
I am doing something wrong.
DID YOU HEAR THE STORY OF THE LITTLE BOY AND HIS FOOTBALL?
THE LITTLE BOY ACCIDENTALLY KICKED HIS FOOTBALL INTO THE CHICKEN LOT.
He feared chickens and waited until his dad got home to retrieve his football.
The rooster strutted around, looking at the football and thought look at that magnificent egg.
The rooster said, "Wow, that is the biggest egg I have ever seen."
As he admired the egg, the rooster had a better idea.
He ran into the hen house and called for a meeting around this new, big beautiful brown egg.
All the hens observed the egg and said, "WOW!"
As the rooster had all the hens gathered around, he made a new demand, an ultimatum... Tomorrow every hen will lay an egg this size or you will have to move out of my hen house.
This Rooster lacked understanding as he demanded his hens to do the impossible?
This rooster was willing to command the hens and make them feel bad because he saw something bigger.
This rooster was willing to see his hens die, they couldn’t possibly lay an egg that size? That football had no life in it? The football looked good, but there was no nourishment there?
Right now many of you, that God will lead to read this, have been comparing your eggs to footballs? This is not wise. Don’t try to BE BIG for Jesus, be small, and trust God for the increase.
How stupid fleeces and ultimatums are? There is only one fleece in the Bible, and the man didn’t accept that.
Competition can become opposing strife and jealousy within the camp. We often compare ourselves with ourselves and doubt breeds. 2 Corinthians 10:12 warns us of this. Do your best and forget the rest? Remember Divine Timing! Wait on the Lord.
6. REVENGE AND RETALIATION CAN BACKFIRE AND BREED DOUBT.
Often times the pulpit can become a place where one inflicts injury in return for injury the pastor or his family received.
Maybe while preaching and feeling like a failure, you could preach in disappointed tones and put everyone else down and drive the ones that love you away? You can preach in anger? You can preach the truth in anger and shoot yourself in the foot.
We can use the pulpit to strike back at those that have broken our spirit. You can use this as an opportunity for getting satisfaction and payback. You can set the records straight, and tell the others off.
Are you leaving too? Are you running others off? You don’t have to quit?
Do you believe in stealing?
Taking what is not yours?
Romans 12:19 says: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, neither give place to wrath, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, saith the Lord.
If you belong to God, you don’t have to run around putting fires out, and defending yourself.
Self doubt grows bigger than Goliath, when we hold anger.
Remember how Sanballlat (book of Nehemiah) wrote letters and made copies about the preacher. The preacher never carried the negative letters around and read them to everybody. The preacher never read the letters to the board?
The preacher took the letters and laid them on the altar. He never showed others.
This required a great trust in God.
I am telling you God can handle your sitiuation.
Read this story Tom Nelson sent me.
During World War II the U.S. Submarine Tang surfaced under the cover of darkness to fire upon a large Japanese convoy off the coast of China.
Since previous raids had left the American vessel with only eight torpedoes, the accuracy of every shot was absolutely essential.
The first seven torpedoes were right on target; but when the eighth was launched, it suddenly deviated and headed right back at their own ship.
The emergency alarm to submerge rang out, but it was too late.
Within a matter of seconds, the U.S. sub received a direct hit and sank almost instantly. Talk about friendly fire?
We can’t afford to leave? We can’t afford to quit? We can’t afford to shoot ourselves.
In much the same way we can destroy ourselves by hostility toward others. T
he effects of holding a grudge are very serious.
Modern medicine has shown that emotions like bitterness and anger can cause problems such as headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, high blood pressure, depression, and heart attacks, to name just a few.
When we do not love our enemies but strike back at them, we are usurping God’s prerogative to mete out justice. By seeking revenge, we really inflict great harm on ourselves.
Mat. 5: 43..."You have heard that it was said, ’You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
The more we retaliate, the greater you will doubt your self and calling.
You seek revenge and see how soon you will want to leave also?
By telling us not to retaliate, Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good.
Trust God, He will guide us, let Him. You can’t smother others.
Open your hand, love will say FLY, if it returns good, if not press on...
I must refuse to argue, debate, and quarrel.
If the chickens quit quarreling there is enough food for all, I ponder this is true for us? The best way to beat an enemy is to make him your friend.
When we take God’s revenge, we will always breed doubt.
The only way we cannot leave too is to trust God, trust His plan.
By comparing your self to others you are breeding self doubt and you will at some
point turn around and go back, because you can’t be like everybody.
To wish to be somebody else is to waste what you are.
Grow up, apply yourself. Don’t offer leftovers to God.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
Enlarge my hands and pass to others?
