#3 In series on 5 part series UNDERSTANDING.
This part is UNDERSTANDING THE MOTIVE.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
Let us ponder MOTIVES!
Many suffer from a lack of understanding. We need God to help us grow a SPIRIT of UNDERSTANDING!
TEXT:
Philipians 4:17 NOT BECAUSE I DESIRE A GIFT, BUT I DESIRE FRUIT THAT MAY ABOUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT.
Matthew 19:30...But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Matthew 25: 40 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these....ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:45 Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me.
We must quit despising the day of the small things? Zech 4:10.
We are pondering a spirit of error that develops in ministry, a lack of understanding, or a spiritual attitude that leads to error: it is easy to grow and give ultimatums and demands that would push Christian leaders to
want to see and feel good right now.
We can expect to see the fruits of our labors and our goals to become visible right now. But if this is your expectation you will quit in heart break.
Before Linda and I moved into our first home in 1998, I did some preparation work, and two men came and laid forms and poured 17 yards of concrete for our back patio and car port.
At the end of six hours of work, there was a beautiful slab of concrete.
I stood and admired the work as the sun went down.
I said "WOW."
I loved seeing what the work of our hands accomplished.
I thought, Lord I would like a job where at the end of the day,
I could see the fruits of my labor.
We built a wooden deck on front, 21 x18, at the end of the day we were not finished, but I sat out side and admired all the sawing and framing and nailing.
I said, Lord I should have been a carpenter, for at the end of the day I could looked back and see what I had accomplished.
By lunch the next day, I grabbed a seat in the shade and admired our work.
By sun down, I had me an easy chair and with Linda, my precious wife, we sat for the first time on a beautiful deck and enjoyed the stars from the level of a finished product.
Then, I lusted for a job where in I could see the fruit of my efforts where I had invested my time and effort.
I am in the wrong calling for that?
Years of honored work can be seldom acknowledged in ministry by sight or feelings.
I have this love of trophies. Trophies show what you have done.
I have none that count.
Sometimes trophies are even given to losers for their participation.
If that is the truth, where are my trophies, I cry?
I have one tiny little trophy, I drove Brother Vannucci’s boys from his church to an Assemblies Of God State Basketball Tourney 17 years ago, they won, and one of the boys asked for me a trophy.
Now, if you interpret this as a sadness, you are very wrong.
I made a choice to build families years ago.
What I am saying is my life has been invested out of the spot light.
That is my choice.
I traveled 6 years on a silver eagle bus, recorded albums, tapes and had request for autographs -- I have had a few standing ovations for showy guitar solo’s, I have done studio work with my music, but I made a decision 21 years ago, that the applause of men fades too quickly.
Much of this was shallowness and vanity.
Since I have given myself to pastoring, I have not had one request for an autograph.
Now, my playing is a requirement of the job -- and we play for no applause?
There is seldom a kind word expressed for my guitar playing for worship.
Maybe if you read this you will brag on your church’s praise team?
I play for a different motive -- the slobbers of old folks in rest homes .. my reward --- an occasional kiss .. and many hugs --
This could be stupidity? Or this could be a search?
Many of the most talented musicians I have known have found excuses to bury their talent.
They could bless many .. and bless the Lord .. but their talents are hung beneath the juniper tree --- yet we say God would you do this for me?
An old lady spent much of her summer setting and swinging in the old swing hanging on her front porch. Her husband had been dead several years and she had withdrawn from all but the closest family.
Her lonely time grew and grew?
So, one spring day, the old lady went out in the garage and pulled the old roto-tiller out from under the rusty tub that covered the engine.
The old lady had found a big bag of seeds that was a vine that would bear bright red flowers.
The old lady loved bright red things.
She made a decision, get out of the swing and grow beautiful flowers to
enjoy.
With great excitement, she pulled real hard on the rope, and with great effort, she finally got the old roto-tiller to run.
There was a wall of concrete blocks between her and the neighbors driveway.
The blocks were laid .. a block and a space or a gap .. then another block and a space all the way down the driveway, all the way to the garage.
With great effort the old lady plowed between the driveway and the wall.
She blistered her hands, her back hurt, but the jarring roto-tiller finished the task.
With feelings of accomplishment and pride, she got down on her knees and planted all the seeds in several rows along the wall.
The rains came, the Lord blessed the little seeds and the sun shine warmed the ground.
One day the little old lady saw the heads of the plant break forth, and the vines grew and grew ... until the vines completely covered the wall.
The vines so grew that the wall could not be seen.
She would sit daily in the swing and watch the progress of the vine.
This was great joy to the old lady.
Beautiful vines .. but no flowers, zero. da nada, nothing.
Where are all the bright red flowers?
One day after much disappointment and great thought the lady decided --
I planted those vines for flowers, bright red flowers and there are none.
I am going to cut those dumb empty vines down and burn them.
She went down the driveway into the garage and got the rusty old hoe, sharpened the edge and started chopping the vines down.
As she chopped down the green vines she grinned ear to ear.
The neighbor was pulling into his drive way.
He skidded to a halt and jumped out of his car and ran over to her.
He said, "What on earth are you doing? I know this is your property and that is your vine, and you can do as you chose. But, why are you cutting down this vine?"
The old lady explained to the kind neighbor, "I planted this not for the vine, but for the bright red flowers, and there are none. After all my sweat and blisters and watering, not one flower. I am cutting this down because there are no red flowers and that is why I planted them!"
Without one word the neighbor took the feeble old lady by the hand and lead her to the other side of the wall.
And on his side of the fence, there were over a million of the brightest red flowers you have ever seen, between every block were many of the brilliant blossoms.
Maybe there aren’t very many trophies in your case?
Maybe others never see what you do?
But who are we working for?
Are we looking for the applause and praise of man?
Why do we sing?
Why do we preach?
Why do we visit the widows?
Why are we teaching Sunday School class or pastoring?
Many find great comfort in the verse Matthew 25: 40 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these....ye have done it unto me.
This is very neat. But I am haunted by ---
Matthew 25:45 Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me. What about what we have NOT ---
I saw a book in the Christian book store, God does not want fat people!
This hurt me to tears.
God loves fat people, and He wants them.
We can’t all be like Pat Boone and Anita Bryant.
We will not all grow at the same rate.
Yes, there will be many that skip the prayer meeting to go to the singing. That is people.
Love them anyway, walk before them.
Yes, there will be those that talk about you, may your good works make their mouth non-effective.
Moses got in much trouble turning his rock speaking into a showy rock hitting.
We are not entertainers.
We are not to be Gospel Comedians....
We carry the flaming word into a lost and dying world.
Are you in a talent contest? a talent show?
Are you looking for a popularity contest to decide you are the GREATEST?
What about the verse hidden in Matthew19:30...
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
I feel this verse is talking about the spirit of error that develops in ministry not understanding the motive in ministry.
Note: not all the first will be last. This is not attacking "THE BIG BOYS."
Some will keep their position, but many will be part of what I call the great turn around.
We must quit despising the day of the small things? Zech 4:10.
No act of kindness no matter how small will ever be forgotten.
Who won Billy Graham to the Lord?
God’s greatest gifts are given in the crucibles (vessel designed to take great heat) and we seldom ever praise the Lord.
If God deems it the best to remove the thorn, He will remove it! If God uses the thorn to refine us, then so be it.
2 Cor 12:6-10, for the grace of God is sufficient...for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
I believe we often waste who we are by wanting to be someone else.
My friends, understand and find joy in the ministry, His JOY is our strength.
Understand and know God has called you and will enable you.
If you sing --- SING UNTO THE LORD.
If you preach --- PREACH UNTO THE LORD.
Be big enough to be small, but also be small enough to be BIG.
We are nothing, HE IS EVERYTHING.
I have traveled many miles to minister, yet as of this day what fruit I see is limited.
I close with Philipians 4:17 NOT BECAUSE I DESIRE A GIFT, BUT I DESIRE FRUIT THAT MAY ABOUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT.
Fruit takes seasons and time, the blossom goes before the fruit.
Please hang on. Please invest again.
Please don’t quit. Someone is watching.
Understand the motive counts.
Why should God give you a second song to sing until you have sung the first one until everybody knows it?
If you are little in ministry -- look to God, find one smaller than you and minister to them with LOVE and JOY.
If you are medium in ministry -- look to God, find one smaller than you and minister to them LOVE and JOY.
If you are BIG in ministry -- look to God, find one smaller than you and be humbled to LOVE and minister with JOY and LOVE.
Understand that when we reach down, we show the LOVE of God to others.
Some may never see their flowers until the other side of the wall, just sow, water, and fertilize.....leave the rest to God.
We need momma’s to see children as ministry?
We need a husband to see his wife as a ministry?
For all real ministry sees a need and then tries to do something about the need -- real ministry must invoke the Lord’s help to be effective,
YOU WILL SEE YOU HAVE SOME RED FLOWERS, PLANT SOME MORE.
GOD GRANT THE PASTORS TO HAVE ENCOURAGEMENT, IN JESUS’ NAME.
Understand God knows the real motive for ministry? Hirelings will tell.
Will you be faithful if you don’t see great doors open?
Allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart and measure our motives.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
The smallness of my hands could be enlarged my you sharing this with another.
