Build Carefully

According to God’s grace that was given to me, as a skilled master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it,

1 Cor 3:10 (HCSB)

Build carefully!  What a great word of encouragement.  In ministry it is easy to get in the rut.  We get used to a routine.  Sometimes the routine is healthy.  Sometimes it is following culture or tradition.  Sometimes it is down right dysfunctional.  Being careful how we build requires that sometimes we evaluate the work.

We should ask ourselves some questions:

• Am I doing this because it is what God has called me too?
• Is what I am doing healthy for me, my family and the Church?
• Am I doing what is God's (Biblical) job description or what is expected of me by church culture and tradition?
• Are my motives pure?
• Is the vision clear?
• Am I accomplishing anything worthy of the Kingdom of God?

This passage (1 Corinthians 3.10-15) reminds us that their is reward for faithful, consistent service.  It also warns that an unexamined work might be worthless in God's eyes.  Let me challenge you fellow leader in the Kingdom, Lay the right foundation, examine what you are doing and enjoy the fruit and rewards of our gracious King Jesus!

Vision

Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.

Proverbs 29.18 (RV)

I have found that one of the most challenging problems of ministry is understanding the balance between what I am doing and what God is doing.  So many times in ministry we want to be industrious.  We are passionate about the ministry challenges before us.  But we seem (I seem) to forget that its not me that brings about spiritual change in the lives of others it is God.  Oswald Chambers speaks to that in My Utmost for His Highest (May 9th)  He writes: 

If we are eating what we have out of our own hand, doing things on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on the downward path, we have lost the vision.  Is our attitude today an attitude that springs from our vision of God?  Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done?  Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual outlook?

How convicting this thought was to me today.  There are many things in ministry that I shy away from because I am not sure how that will work.  I can't see how I can ever accomplish that.  But that is Chambers point isn't it.  If it is our hand then perhaps we have missed God's vision. 

What big things does God want to do with us that we are missing because we have lost the vision of Him?