“Hi I’m Pastor Jelly.” “Good evening, I’m Apostle Peanut Butter.”
Lately, I have been trapped in an onslaught of introductions that begin with such salutations. And although there is something admirable about answering the call of God, many of these individual conversations left me with deep, questioning forehead wrinkles. The most pressing of my questions was: “who in their right mind ordained you to be anything? Now, before I go any further please understand I am in no way assuming the posture of an Almighty God, but some of these people I KNOW should not hold positions in church leadership. The Word of God precisely says that we are to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10), and for these specific title-bearers, their title was just an added puff into their already overly inflated chests. I recall reading scripture when Paul let a few choice believers have a piece of Christ’s mind:
In 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul outlines such haughtiness among believers when he poses some questions. He asks, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you receive it why do you boast as though you had not?” These are valid questions that we all must truthfully answer in order to reject, rebuke, and rebuttal the spirit of pride. Christians must understand that we are mere dirt, gracefully chosen to be filled with the breath of life, and purposefully given an anointing to carry our portion of God’s supreme mission to lead people to the Son. The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord (James 1:17). Thus, why do many believers feel it necessary to assert themselves because of achievement? We carry on spiels which sound like, “I am Mr. Such and Such who matriculated through the upper epsilon blah, blah, blah.” ALL of this was borrowed from God!
Every good thing that has ever happened or has ever been accomplished in your life was in order to make your portion of carrying out God’s mission more effective and efficient. Your college degree was not earned for you to sit in the company of other college graduates and belittle those without degrees. Likewise, prophetic gifts were not bestowed so that those chosen individuals could sit amongst their peers and prophesy to one another, or boast about how God lets them in on the business of others. No! Such dealings are misappropriations of the gifts granted. Your gifts, callings, and talents are to be used for the up-building and edification of God’s kingdom. Moreover, when prideful arrogance corrodes this mission the gifts are not stripped, but are now used out of context for the opposing team. Spiritual gifts and callings are given without repentance (Romans 11:29); thus the gifts will always be present. However, it becomes a matter of truthfully questioning your motives when utilizing those gifts; who exactly is getting the glory from your talents?
God is the driving force behind every good thing; therefore, be mindful that your praise and honor are continuously to be given to Him. Know your place as a servant of God regardless of how many titles you adorn. Serving God with your works should be your sole mission while here on earth. Anything else is self-serving; thus, denying your need for and dependence on God. You are not an independent free agent, but an agent of Christ sent to accomplish a goal. Let not the accolades become your god, but be mindful of the One from whom all blessings flow!
Are you rightfully wearing and utilizing your title? Think about it.
Nikki D
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