UNDERSTANDING SACRIFICES UNVEILS THE BEAUTY OF SERVICE

We had a daily training running. Part of the school’s schedule was a midnight watch of about forty-five minutes. I had led for about eight weeks daily except for weekends. Afterward, I began to assign the role to other ministers. 

I remember asking one of them after his first time leading. He said, “It was difficult to sleep till that time because he had to ensure he was prepared for the meeting.” He added, ‘Sir, this is what you have been doing for eight weeks.” It was then that the weight of the sacrifice dawned on him. 

Beloved, if you take your eyes off yourself, it will be easier for you to see the sacrifices that others make. I visited a family who attends one of our expressions once, and I realized that they drive almost forty minutes to get to the meeting venue. Until you take your eyes off yourself, you will never value the sacrifices of others. 

For instance, there was a church where transport arrangement was made for their members. One day when the bus could not get them to their house, one of them said, “At least we give offering.” What a statement! It did not dawn on that person that it was insufficient to run the transport system. 

See! If you do not see the House of God as your spiritual family, you will think your offering is a contribution and your service is “helping them.” You cannot have that kind of strange mindset about the things of God’s Kingdom. 

What’s the point? Where there is understanding, service is counted as a great honour. Giving is seen as a huge privilege. But where ignorance reigns, a sense of entitlement will be king. Do you know some people want to give so they can control the pastor and the church? 

By the way, if your pastor stops disciplining you (giving instructions and corrections) because of the volume of your giving, you are no longer being pastored. Your pastor has become your fan. In my honest opinion, walk to the pastor and tell him you are still open to correction and instruction. If nothing changes, change your church before you become a ticking time bomb. If you are not being instructed, cautioned at times, corrected, and at times confronted when you are slack, you are no longer pastored. If your heart is right, then make things right. 

Even if you are rich, Paul told Timothy: 

Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.

(1 Timothy 6:17 CEV)

Are you too gifted to be warned?

Are you too rich to be pastored?

Are you too needed that you are now worshipped? 

Until you know the sacrifices of others, you cannot appreciate what they do. It flows both ways. 

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa.