Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

One of the greatest attacks on an individual is that on their person. What I mean by this is that the enemy will attack you and ask you to justify why you do what you do. Why should we listen to you when we also hear from God? Sound familiar! Who do you think you are and who gives you the right to speak into my life? These were some of the questions the apostle Paul faced when he challenged the behaviour of the Corinthians. Rather than go with what the Lord was saying through Paul, the Corinthians chose to challenge his authority to speak to them and questioned his authority as a leader to benefit from their giving. There are many people who attend churches who do not understand or respect the order that God has instituted. Ignorance causes many to disrespect the role that the individual occupies and disrespect the individual themselves. And so it becomes difficult to separate the individual from the role. It is right to remunerate those who work to ensure that your soul is fed with the word of God. However, not all those who do this take the payment. Like the apostle Paul, many do other paid work so that they can keep themselves and be totally independent so that they can speak openly at all times. Some find it difficult to speak openly to those who are paying their salary since this may upset the ‘apple cart’ and could lose their jobs. When you are being challenged about your role and the authority invested in you by the Lord, you can state your ‘rights’, however it is better to speak to the issues and side step the personal or individual attacks. As mature individuals, we must remember that ‘body’ ministry is the ideal and not every part of the body understands their function until it is explained to them. And even when it is explained, there are many who just do not want to come under the authority of a particular leader, for many reasons. As the apostle puts it, ‘does an ox not eat from the grain he is treading to make flour’? Or ‘does the farmer not eat the fruits he is picking’? The questions are posed so as to answer themselves with a resounding YES. So why should someone who is proclaiming the good news not live by it? Even though it is their right receive recompense. Today, if you are being challenged, separate yourself from your role. Know what is expected of you and ensure that those you are leading know also. Misunderstanding can cause frustrations, so make everything plain by writing them down for all to see! Read 1corinthian 9.