What are the Right and WRONG motives
for wanting to serve others?

What are the Right and WRONG
motives for wanting to serve others?

Selfishness has plagued the church of Jesus Christ since it began, and it is still present in these last days. Those who wish not to minister or lead, but to have absolute control over portions of God's church, are as prevalent today as they ever were. There has also been a proliferation of church leaders who either by design, or by ignorance, are attempting to lead the church not by the pattern of God's Word, but by their own methods, and for their own motives.

These misuses and abuses of power have terribly torn, divided, and wounded the church. Leaders have found it nearly impossible to work with congregations who no longer trust those in leadership, and congregations have found it difficult to follow leaders when so many of them have led them astray. Where have we GONE WRONG in the kind of ministry and leadership we've embraced to oversee and fulfill the church's mission? What do we do to train qualified ministers to work in our churches?

The Apostle Paul was deeply concerned about the church's vulnerability. Before his departure from Ephesus, he called the church's elders together one last time:

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

"Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years, I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Acts 20:28 31)

"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." (John 10:12,13)

Comparing Ministry and Leadership

One of the causes of improper ministry and leadership coming to power in the church is from men who are motivated to acquire the power and prestige of leadership, devoid of a shepherd's heart. Defining the difference between ministry and leadership is important. It is easy to mix and confuse the two. Simply put, ministry is in serving and supplying the needs of others, equipping them primarily to become established in the faith. Jesus shared his heart for ministry when he stood to read at the synagogue in Nazareth:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath . . .

• sent me to heal the brokenhearted . . .
• to preach deliverance to the captives . . .
• and recovering of sight to the blind . . .
• to set at liberty them that are bruised . . .
• to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18,19)

In contrast, leadership is in overseeing and watchfulness, protecting, uniting, administration, and responsibility for the church's welfare. Actually, true leadership is a form of ministry, which is primarily involved in the training, equipping, and enabling of others to do their ministries (1Peter 5:1 4; Ephesians 4:11,12). Godly leadership is to be wrapped in the garment of humility, not the cloak of pride. When people are reaching for the power and prestige of leadership, seeking control and desiring to be the center of attention, big conflicts arise. This is not godly ministry this is not scriptural leadership. It's the pride and selfishness of the flesh, and it is a frightening epidemic among the churches.

A Crucial Point for Those Aspiring to the Ministry

Read the story in Matthew 20:20 28. The mother of James and John desires greatness for her sons, and obviously they are going along with her. They want to be special. They want to be a cut above the others. They want an extra measure of prestige, and perhaps just a little more authority, maybe even a bigger ring and a finer garment. So, what is Jesus' response? Jesus says in verse 27,

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant..."

The Lord is simply trying to teach his disciples that serving God is not about position. Jockeying for authority and control — pushing everyone else down to get just a little higher yourself just isn't right. All those who do so have failed to see the whole point of God's calling. The basic rule of thumb for those who feel a call to serve God, is to reach for ministry, not for leadership. Don't strive to be in charge, to be at the top, to have control. Rather, learn to kneel, learn to wash feet, learn to serve, and learn to give your life away to find it again.

What is God's Call to Ministry All About?

Answering the Call of God to ministry is about several very important things. Here, at least, are five of them:

1. Bringing honor and glory back to God through Jesus Christ (1Peter 4:10,11)

2. Knowing our ability to minister and lead comes from God (2Corinthians 3:5,6)

3. Any good thing that is within us to minister to Christ's body of believers is by His grace and anointing (Ephesians 3:7,8)

4. If the calling of God is true upon a person's life, then that person doesn't choose the ministry, but God chooses him for the ministry (John 15:16)

5. The true shepherd gives his life for the sheep (John 10:11)

It should be stated again: reach for ministry, not for leadership. In fact, let's take it a step farther. NEVER reach for leadership — let leadership reach for you. Don't select and promote yourself to "be in charge," let God select and promote you, if that is His calling for your life. Be content with His choice for you, whatever that is!

Misguided Motives for Aspiring to the Ministry

I hope, if you are aspiring to the ministry, that you will prayerfully review and meditate on that previous section you've just read. Look up those scriptures, write them on an index card, fast and pray and ask God to give you a pure motive for serving Him. The Bible speaks of many terrible reasons for wanting to have leadership in the church. Here are a few:

• Desiring power or prestige (Numbers 16:1 35; Proverbs 25:6,7)

• To divide instead of unify - splitting churches (1Corinthians 11:1719; 1Corinthians 3:1 9)

• For financial gain (Acts 20:33 35; Ez. 34:2,3)

• To scatter the flock or lead it astray (Jeremiah 23:2; 50:6)

• To only stay if things are going well (John 10:12)

• To show signs and wonders (Luke 11:29)

• To lead by anything other than holy character and integrity (Hebrews 13:7,17; 1Corinthians 11:1)

So ....do you want to be in the ministry? Your real concern should not be your qualifications, but your motive. If God has called you, He can equip you, and use you.