Have you ever wondered why you see a small church that is supposed to have grown and broken-through in their season yet they remain stagnant all the way? The answer is stubbornness and the energy of the flesh in doing/running a church. Have you ever seen and wondered why a Christian who is supposed to be mature in the Lord acting like he has not seen the gate of a church before? The answer is still stubbornness and the energy of flesh in serving God.

The flesh – this is your carnal views and desires, and the literal understanding of God’s Word.  

Profits nothing – it would not be of real need to man.

I don’t believe that most people who start up a church or a ministry do so in flesh but when the pressure of laying the foundation sets in gradually, some ministers will begin to act based on their feelings or outcome of the day (the advice they get from a friend or an interested member). Sometimes this stubbornness and energy of the flesh start when a handful of people start attending service and it seems like the church is growing. No potter can do anything whatever with clay that continually resists the potter’s attempt to shape it. If the potter cannot make the kind of vessel he wants to make, the reason is that there is something in the clay that resists his touch (Jeremiah 18: 1 – 4). So it is with your life and mine. If God is going to use us for His honour and glory, if He is going to bless our evangelistic and soul-winning ministry, then our lives must be placed absolutely at His disposal (2 Timothy 2:21). As long as we want to have our own way – by the energy of the flesh rather than be led by the Spirit of God in the ministry, then be sure that God will do little with us. Many, struggle in ministry because they go by the way of the flesh.

For since the world through all its (earthly) wisdom has failed to recognize God, how and why should we depend on this same wisdom to produce the best out of what God has called us to do? God is Spirit and those who worship Him must do so in the Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached (regarding salvation) to save us who believe (in Christ and welcome Him as Saviour). Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. When a pastor loses sight of this he loses sight of everything. Dear servant of God, why are you in the ministry if not to live and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ? Or are you in the ministry because of the money, or because it is a respectable thing to do and because it will give you prestige and influence? I pray that you will return to the right path, the highway of salvation (Isaiah 35:8).

Deal with sin and not just the fruit of sin (jealousy, rebellion, stubbornness, bitterness, greed, etc). When you deal with sin (the root cause of man’s fall) by crucifying the flesh daily (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24), you will live a victorious life. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh (guided by the situations and the way the world reason); but those who live according to the Spirit (guided in faith by the power of God) set their minds on the things of the Spirit (God’s will and purposes).

A father and mother were drugged, beaten and stabbed by their two sons who then went ahead to set the house on fire. If not for the intervention of the police on hearing the distress call of the mother, both she and the husband would have died in the hands of their sons. The parents pleaded with the Judge to be lenient with them that they have forgiven their children and that they still love them. The truth is that this can only be the love of God in action that made the parents to forgive their children and are willing to take them back as if nothing happened.

The story above is just like the father of the prodigal son who when his son returned home to his father – and while the boy was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.  “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.  And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began (Luke 15: 20 – 24). Forgiving a person is one thing, forgetting it (acting as if it never happened is another. Note how the father ran to meet the son and his reaction when the son was apologising of his sins. His father’s reaction – he was happy and in a feasting mood. This is how Christ say we should react whether they are our children or not, biological brothers or not, biological sisters or not, biological parents or foster parents.

The Bible says that God is love, which makes it the perfect source to learn how to love others, even those who are difficult for us too. Our world has skewed the meaning of true love but God’s Word remains a steadfast, true source of knowledge on how to love. As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that the world will know us by our love. The greatest testimony that we can be is to love those around us – whether family, friends or stranger. God puts no limits on love. God is love! If we want the perfect example of love, it is in our creator God. Often, God’s love is referred to as agape love which is the highest form of love that is selfless and sacrificial. It is steadfast, unchanging, and unconditional. The only way we can express this kind of love is by following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus. When your joy, happiness is in the Lord rather than in material things, the Lord makes it easier for you to love. The idea of loving and forgiving our enemies sounds completely ridiculous at times. It is our human nature to want to defend ourselves and fight back. However, if we are called to be like Jesus, we are called to forgive those who hurt us. Doing good doesn’t show true love but what shows true love is the motive behind the good you do. Loving your enemy is less about reconciling a relationship and more about the condition of your heart!

Mockery, attacks, distraction, and temptation to sin are bound to come from our neighbours, colleagues at work, a brother or sister in the church, a relation at home – all is to enable us to trust God, and grow to become like Jesus. But no matter what our situation or the hard times we might be facing, we still can choose to focus on what God says. He reminds us, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Love covers any shade of grey, every uncertainty, and all worries or fears. It’s greater than any obstacle or struggle we face in this life. The powerful love of Christ wins every time against the enemy’s lies of defeat. We don’t have to let him win. We can choose the better way. We can choose whose voice we listen to. We can choose to walk in truth. We can choose to walk in love, that way we grow and allow God’s love to saturate our hearts.

God’s love is perfect, faithful, unconditional, forgiving, all-encompassing, pure, lasting, sacrificial, strong, enduring, refreshing, redeeming, everlasting, lavish, full, inspiring, hope-filled, gracious, and so much more. It’s never based on us, our abilities, or striving to ever be good enough. A heart soaked love is found in Christ, His character, and it knows no boundaries and has no limits. There’s no place too deep that His love can’t reach.