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MINISTRY, THE RACE

Ministry,

Many are doing effectively and efficiently what they ought not to have done.


Ministry is not something to pass time with, it is a continuous journey unlike salvation which is
already a destination (when you get in, you’ve arrived). Salvation is not a race, which means that once
you are saved, you’ve arrived but the work of ministry is a race that clearly shows that you’ve been
saved to serve the purpose of God.

For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].
-2 Corinthians 5 : 10


Every child born of God has a purpose, plan, mission and mandate set before them, some get to the
end of their cause and some don’t, nevertheless, every child of God has been given an assignment.
You have been saved to help others get saved and it is another way of expressing your gratitude for
salvation.


The more you follow Jesus, the more your mandate unfolds pointing to a journey you walk with Him
alone in intimacy and truth to get a better reward. This reward is in eternity when we see Jesus, face
to face.


Eternity is longer than now and it will be a disservice to us to set aside the mandate God has given us
for a job, family, lifestyle or any other thing that has no reward in heaven and you know that each day
you walk this earth without doing what God called you to do, you die.


1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may
obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.


If a man can preach and lose his reward, how much more the one that never even began the journey?
Apostle Paul said “I will run according to the rules” Therefore there are rules in this race and you can
be disqualified at the end if the rules are not well followed.


2 Corinthians 4:17, KJV
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory.


I know many times trials come to discourage, distract and end our mission but we should instead use
these trials to develop our character and persuasion.


Ministry is a fight which makes it obvious that if you’re not a fighter you will not last in ministry, but
thank God, the moment we got born again the fighter’s blood came inside of us. Apostle Paul called it
a good fight because it is a fight that has been won even before it started.


Under trials and temptations, you must keep your passion alive. Some go through trials and drop
God’s mandate to focus on other kinds of stuff, meanwhile, the things they focus on (marriage,
finances, work etc) have no eternal value and reward like God’s mandate.


Who did this to us?
How did we get such a mindset?
How did we become so blind to real value?

Nothing on earth equates the same value on the mandate of God on earth, the honour to labour in
the kingdom is the greatest honour God can put on any man.


Hebrews 12:1, KJV
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us,


Zeal is not a fruit of the Spirit or even a commandment but a response to the things of God in our
lives, therefore let’s add zeal to the mandate God has given us.


Romans 12:11, KJV
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Truth be told, from the verse above, if we serve God without these qualities, we will have no reward.


It is your responsibility to be zealous about what God has given you.
For some, once conditions change our fire goes down, we must deliberately maintain our fire no
matter the condition. Situations will always change, it can be good today and stormy tomorrow,
change in situations and time are the true test of character.

One of the ways the devil wears a believer out is the long stretch of character which is unavoidable if you’re in this kingdom. If your passion for God’s mandate can change because you got married or got a job then it was never
really there; as I said, in the beginning, it’s not something to pass time with.

No matter the condition do not let your passion for God’s purpose in your life wear out.
Fight for the purpose of God in your life, we must stay in this fight till we see Jesus.


SYMPTOMS OF LOSING ZEAL/PASSION OVER GOD’S MANDATE.


Fear and timidity: You suddenly become timid about sharing the gospel the way you use to and afraid
of what people might say when they see you love the things of God the way you do.


2 Timothy 1:6-7, KJV
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the
putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.


Laziness and neglect: Biblical definition of excellence in ministry is zeal, to aglow in fire… being
reluctant or neglecting the work God put in your hands will be difficult to return to.

This is where backsliding comes in, we can’t backslide in salvation but we can backslide in ministry.
The way doctors, nurses and pilots work on Christmas day, doing ministry is as essential as that.


Worldliness: you begin to like and indulge in the things you’ve never valued before just because you
lost focus.

2 Timothy 2:20-21, KJV
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth;
and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.


New desires that were never in you.
We need purity of heart and total surrendering to last in ministry, and don’t let people and
circumstances overwhelm us till we cannot listen to God again.


Proverbs 4:23, KJV
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

P.S: Who am I not to do the work of my Father diligently?

You are unstoppable!

Love X Uju.

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