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Casting Pearls In All the Wrong Places

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I have a bit of a problem, my problem is that I am a bit addicted to casting every pearl of wisdom out to whomever will listen on social media. This however is not what God is doing, this is just me. The Lord teaches me …and I promptly broadcast, I struggle with this almost daily. only about 10% of the things I want to post do I actually post.  I am a recovering pearl caster.

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.  – Jesus Christ in Matt 7:6

In context, if you read a few verses above this the “dogs” and the “swine” are also referred to as “your brother”.  This analogy of dogs and swine seems really harsh to me but it is from the Lord so I accept it. To be fair I think we all do this at different times of life.

According to this verse throwing pearls of wisdom to swine will cause them to do two things, 1) trample the pearls themselves… which is an insulting waste 2) turn at you and tear you to pieces.

Jesus was amazing at living out this concept in his ministry, he taught openly to all while at the same time also concealing his wisdom to some in parables.  He also had circles of closeness, people had to make an effort to get to him, they had to seek him, they had to drop everything and follow him.  He then rewarded their pursuit of him.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

There is an intensity required to press into the things of God. If you want to grow, if you want to know the Lord more deeply, even if you want to understand what the Lord is doing now.

Perhaps this is also true in how we minister, ministry is not just displaying to everyone whatever the Lord is showing you because you have to come up with something to please the people.  Ministry is not just sharing whatever the Lord shows us.  Ministry is doing what the Lord is doing, helping him do through us, acting not autonomously for him but allowing him to act through us.  The Lord is not displaying all of his wisdom and knowledge to anyone and everyone, especially to those hostile to wisdom, in fact he conceals to the hostile and avoids “throwing his pearls to swine”.

My major concern is to never be one of those swine who trample wisdom and tear people apart.

How do you react when you hear people throwing pearls of wisdom?

 

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Ministry is Helping the Father Work

My son has been helping me split, carry and stack fire wood. I don’t care how much he can’t do.  I do the bulk of the work, I just like to work with him and talk with him and show him what I am doing. He enjoys this work.

My daughter helps me to make candle holders, she has good ideas, she helps me as much as she can, I don’t care what she can’t do I just like to work with her and show her what I am doing. She enjoys this work.

Serving God is simply helping him do what he is already doing in and through us, we do it together, this is what Jesus did. This was the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Truly truly, I say to you the son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something he sees the father doing; for whatever the father does; these things the son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the son, and shows him all things that he himself is doing…- Jesus Christ

Pouring ourselves into ministry visions designed by even from the greatest of men ought not replace the work that God is doing with and through us. We don’t copy the strategies of what looks great or what was successful up the road and call that serving God.  Feelings of guilt or comparing ourselves or of not doing enough should never motivate our ministry.  

That would have been like Jesus nervously or possibly jealously copying the ministry of Moses and leading the Hebrew people militarily away from Rome.  No way, Jesus showed us a better way to serve God.

We see clearly (without the distractions of guilt) what God is doing and do that with him, this is his easy burden and his light yoke. This is the nature of all Christian ministry and we have no good reason to add to it.

take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Jesus

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