Four Points Of Attack
I’ve been reading through the Sermon on the Mount lately…and what Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12 has really stood out…because…
As a leader in ministry we ARE going to be attacked…especially if we are having an impact in the areas in which we are planted.
This week I want to go over four areas that leaders WILL be attacked in…and deal with how to handle it.
Area #1 – Your Motives
There is no way around it…people are going to question WHY you do what you do…and the more success you see in ministry the more people will question your motives.
Let me be clear…you can’t win this fight…the only thing that you can do is consistently check your heart to make sure that you are listening to the voice of God and then doing what He says. (We can lie to people…but we can’t lie to Him…He knows our hearts and one day our motives, if impure, will be exposed because He will NOT be mocked! Galatians 6:7).
Reality is this…most people who question your motives don’t have a freakin clue where you came from. They don’t know the crap you’ve put up with, the sleepless nights you’ve gone through and the personal sacrifices you’ve made to get to where you are. AND…
You CAN’T waste your time explaining those things to them because—THEN they accuse you of pride (an accusation you can’t really defend…because if you say you are not then you lose!)
You just need to ask yourself the following questions when it comes to why you do what you do?
- Am I allowing Jesus or my personal desires to shape my motives?
- Is this desire in me a passion that will enlarge His Kingdom…or a cool idea that will allow me to become more popular?
- Are my motives being shaped as I study the Scriptures…or does God’s Word conflict with what I want?
- Are the godly people the Lord has placed in my life rebuking me or affirming me?
- Am I doing what I do because I love Jesus and people…or because I love myself and see all of the personal gain I can achieve out of this?
- Am I doing this for attention from others or AFFIRMATION from my heavenly Father? (Matthew 3:17)
People questioning our motives can drive us crazy…that is why we must allow the voice of Jesus to shape us rather than the people who don’t have a clue as to why we are doing what we are doing.