Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Sacrifice Pride for a Fuller Ministry


Leviticus 1:6
"Then the priests will skin the animal and quarter it."  The New Living Bible

Our friend, the professional painter, was very gracious after he prepped the bathroom wall.  He didn't judge my work.  He did what is his expertise.

I was creating my she-sanctuary bathroom.  I wanted it to be all mine.  After weeks of sanding wallpaper glue, my husband reached out to our friend.  My husband knew I needed help in the form of a professional.  He knew my pride would drastically slow the completion of the makeover.

(In addition, I'm a terrible painter.  My friends put me in charge of procurement on our makeover projects.   I get sent out for food and supplies when I get near a paintbrush! What made  me think I could do this on my own?  The Lord provided a friend, who loves to  paint, the week I scheduled to paint my she-sanctuary bathroom.  Thanks Dawn.)

I thought of my pride in my project when I read the sixth verse of Leviticus.  This verse is part of the  instructions for sacrifice, something our modern brains really can't comprehend.  Today I relate the sacrificial instruction to my ministry. 

The instructions include criteria for choosing the animal, the purpose of the sacrifice, the completion of the sacrifice and distribution of the sacrifice.

Those priests worked with the  animal sacrifices on a daily basis.  They knew what to do.  Why would the individual on an annual visit to the temple try to handle it?

In spiritual matters, there are  plenty of people with more experience and expertise than me.  Do I go to them for advise and/or assistance? 

Some of my ministry is an offering of thanks to God.  Some of what I do is offering to do for God, to be a witness or servant to others.  This verse reminds me my ministry can't be about pride.  I don't own my ministry.  It's an opportunity from God to experience a fuller life.  It's my opportunity to know and depend on  God. My pride will diminish the benefit.

Sacrifice
Pride
For
A
Fuller
Ministry


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