I heard two statements a while ago, yet they’ve had a great impact on me until today, and I often find myself thinking them. I really wanted to share them with you:
“We decided to leave the Work of God and take care of our life, because if we are good enough to take care of a state, why are we being sent to auxiliary in a church?”
“No one ever recognizes what I do, so I’m going somewhere where my work will be appreciated.” (This person considered it an injustice to be in a particular church)
These two situations have something in common. In both cases, these people were not worried about what they put on the Altar, but what the Altar was made of.
Our life as a pastor and pastor’s wife is to be on the Altar, simply be on the Altar, and this Altar is our church. But many neglect this Altar because it is small, is not well located, it does not bring any personal benefits etc. However, what really matters is what we put on the Altar – our surrender to change people’s lives – this is what really matters.
Take a look at the story of Elijah. He took 12 stones and surrendered all of his life, and so the fire came down.
Whether it is for ten people or thousands of people, our sacrifice has to be perfect. The devil has deceived many with these thoughts, because they look at the amount of people or the size of the church and forget that our sacrifice has to please God, regardless of whether the Altar is marble, wood or stone.
Elijah sacrificed on a small altar made of 12 stones and awakened the faith of a nation. If each one of us puts all of our life on the altar, we can also awaken the faith of an entire nation.
May our sacrifice be perfect, just as Paul wrote about Timothy, may God also say the same about us in each church He sends us to:
For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. Philippians 2.20
Lets take care of the people and let God take care of us. Lets not seek our own personal interests. We are Levites and our inheritance is God.
The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them. Deuteronomy 18.1-2