Too Good to Work
2 Words in 1
Collecting People
You can’t effectively cover, mentor, or be a spiritual parent to a internet image.
I’m just saying, you need to have some personal contact with those who say they are connected to you.
You don’t know them personally, haven’t talked to them, haven’t had any contact but through the media. People will create a false image and personality to become part of what you’re doing.
I love what a woman of God did yesterday. She had been communicating (notice I say “communicating,” which means we hold conversations and interact) and when she realized I was in her region, she immediately made plans and came and met me so that I would get to know her personally.
You see people, when it’s God ordained, there will be a pursuit by those that truly want to learn be taught and to have covenant. You can’t form a proper teaching – training relationship if there is no interaction going forth between the two parties.
I believe in order, structure, and respecting ministry covenant relationships. A person can’t be beneficial or accountable for your spiritual growth, if you never give them the ability to deal with you on a regular basic.
Too many spiritual parents are collecting children, but are abandoning them when we realize that the child wants more than a once a year phone call.
I get excited when those I am in covenant with call, text, email me weekly at least. I know then that they want to learn and grow, because they express continual interest by asking questions, seeking knowledge, obtaining wisdom, pursuing understanding.
I love students who ask questions. That lets me know that they want to advance, get understanding, and are teachable and trainable! No teacher wants to teach people who are uninterested in learning and growing!
Leaders don’t just want bodies so you can announce you’ve got so many persons following you, but pursue a relationship with those you cover and mentor so that you can be able to answer questions about their character integrity attitude and ministry qualifications when ask about them.
After all, if they announce you as the person that they are connected to, then you are the one they will hold responsible if they are out of order, because accountability also means critiquing and correcting them when they are walking, teaching, preaching, prophesying in error and you can’t know they are in error if you never seen or heard them do any of these things or communicate with them.
Leaders, stop collecting people and start being a leader to people!
Too Good to Work
Some people feel like they are just too good to work. Ministry is not for them.
In ministry you may be required to sweep the floor, vacuum, clean the bathroom, carry some bags, iron clothes. Sometimes you may have to stay at somebody house.
You won’t lose your anointing if you make your own bed, cook your own food, or clean the private bathroom they allow you to use.
I have had several leaders express concern about the persons who work with them being self-centered, only concerned about themselves, and not concerned about them personally.
Ministry is about souls and walking in humility and obedience to the will of God!
There is far too much pride involved in ministry in this hour. Remember, those who are sent to you will work with you. Those who are attached will just exist with you!
~ Apostle Barbara R. Thomas
Apostle Barbara R. Thomas is founder of I Come to Heal Ministries, A Woman’s touch Ministry, The Next Dimension Global Outreach Ministries and Spoken Word School of Ministry and is on a mission, traveling the world, proclaiming the Gospel, for souls to be won to the Kingdom of God. She has life mandate to help bring others to their divine purpose.
“You can’t form a proper teaching – training relationship if there is no interaction going forth between the two parties.”
Only the Lord knows the best way for each and every one.
When I was saved (by hearing His voice) the Lord lead me (away from “the church”) and to a woman who walked closely with Him and who actually lived by the Word.
She taught me how to focus at the Lord and separate myself to Him instead of listening to man made doctrines and the time we spent together we had a lot of divine experiences together with the Lord.
Suddenly God called her out on a mission and I was left without a ‘mentor’ and I asked the Lord to lead me to another ‘mentor’ which I of course imagined to be a visible person and someone I could in the faith socialize with.
Then one day I opened the computer and found a teaching which literally catapulted me into the deeper understanding of how to walk in the Spirit, and the Lord immediately responded with (supernatural) signs and wonders , which confirmed that the understanding of the teaching was correct and which also lead to a greater trust and dependence in Him.
Still, although the years has passed by, and I still follows the same teaching, I have not met nor heard the voice of the author of the teaching and I don’t believe it will happen because we live at different places on the earth.
So therefore I know that a ‘visible body’ is not necessary for to be lead and taught by God.
And by this I will encourage every one who is ‘alone’ with the Lord to trust Him in that as long as one receives ‘signs’ from Him that one is on the path, one is in the center of His Will and everything is in perfect order.