I was in a meeting recently, where someone was encouraging us to go out and win souls. On the surface, this was a good encouragement and in keeping with the Great Commission that Jesus left with the church. He said something that triggered multiple reactions in my thoughts. He likened the souls won to the ‘Kingdom’ to the fish with the coin, which Jesus and His disciples encountered in their days. In other words, our prosperity depends on how much souls we can win because the more souls you win, the more the quantity of coins you amass.
Let me share some of the questions that rang though my mind:
“When the early missionaries left the comfort of their countries for the then undeveloped Africa, was there a promise of prosperity in return for their service and sacrifice?”
“What was Paul’s motivation for the missionary journeys he embarked upon?”
“As the early disciples waited in that upper room to be empowered for the preaching of the gospel, did they have prosperity somewhere at the back of their minds?”
“Do our present day missionaries that are placing their lives and the lives of their families in harm’s way have prosperity as their incentive?”
This question of motives cuts across every area of Christian service, not just soul winning. It may be worthwhile to pause and actually reflect on your own motives for Christian service. While you are on that, think about these verses of the Bible:
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2: 10 (NIV)
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelations 4: 11 (KJV)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3: 16 – 18 (NIV)
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 (NASB)
My Thoughts:
God created us for His pleasure. Our Christian service is also a part of us that should give Him pleasure. If I experience God’s blessings or not in the course of the service, I will still serve Him. God’s blessings are completely free and there is no way I can pay for all that He has done for me and all that He will do for me. Relating this to the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, the Pharisee came on the platform of all that he had done for God, while the Publican came ‘Just as I am without one plea’. We know the rest of the story. In Matthew 7: 7 – 8, God did not say you should go and ‘labour in the vineyard’ before coming to Ask, Seek and Knock. If I need anything, I can simply go to God as my Father and just Ask. Just my thoughts. My own thoughts.
Chidi Ukandu's Blog 