WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO SERVE A VISION THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY YOURS. ROMANS CHAPTER 12:3-8

WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO CONTRIBUTE TO A VISIONARY ASSIGNMENT, YOU MUST MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY TO KNOW YOUR AREAS OF STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT. DON’T MAJOR ON AREAS YOU KNOW ARE NOT YOUR CORE POSITION OF CONTRIBUTION AND GIFT, ONLY TO SEEK TO ENFORCE AN IDEA OR OPINION THAT MAKES YOU LOOK WEAK AND UNWISE.

SERVING A VISION NOT BORN FROM OUR SPIRITUAL WOMB, YET, WE ARE KEENLY CONVINCED AND AWARE THAT THIS IS WHAT THE FATHER WILL HAVE US DO FOR A REASON OR SEASON. IT TAKES A DEEP SENSE OF HUMILITY AND KEEN KNOWLEDGE OF DISCIPLESHIP SPIRIT TO OBEY SUCH A PURPOSE.

IT TAKES A DEEP SENSE OF MATURITY AND WISDOM TO SERVE FOR MANY YEARS, WITHIN A FIELD OF AN ASSIGNMENT OR MINISTRY THAT DOES NOT PUT YOU IN SOME FRONT-LINE RELEVANT ROLE OF LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION.

IT IS THE NATURE OF HUMANS TO DEFINE SUCCESS AND PROGRESS FROM A POSITION OF PROMOTION THAT CAN BE MEASURED EITHER BY CERTIFICATION, MONEY, OR CLIMBING SOME KIND OF RECOGNIZABLE CORPORATE LADDER.

PLEASE, DON’T GET ME WRONG, THESE THINGS ARE GREAT TO HAVE, BUT THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT THE BEST YARDSTICK OF MEASURING SUCCESS OR PROMOTION FROM THE LORD. THE MEANS AND METHODS THE LORD EMPLOYS TO ELEVATE AND PROMOTE HIS OWN ARE BASED ON HIS SOVEREIGN WISDOM, AND SUCH WISDOM MUST BE CLEAR TO EVERYONE.

THE LORD PROMISED TO REWARD ALL THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT HOUSES, FAMILY, AND OTHER THINGS TO FOLLOW HIM, AND THESE REWARDS ARE TWOFOLD AS THE SCRIPTURE RECORDED. THERE IS A REWARD THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO US WHILE WE ARE STILL ALIVE IN THIS PRESENT WORLD, AND THERE IS ANOTHER REWARD WAITING FOR US IN THE WORLD TO COME.

THEREFORE, OUR THEOLOGY OR IDEOLOGY OF PROMOTION AND REWARD SHOULD BE BIBLICALLY ACCURATE AND BALANCED, SO WE DON’T GET INTO THE DECEPTION OF WAITING FOR MEN TO RECOGNIZE OR REWARD US WHILE FULFILLING AN ASSIGNMENT WE’VE BEEN COMMISSIONED BY THE LORD.

IT TAKES A DIFFERENT SPIRIT TO LOOK AT PROMOTION FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF BEING ROOTED, WHERE THE LORD HAS CALLED AND ASSIGNED US TO SERVE. IT TAKES A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TO LIVE BY THE INSTRUCTION AND DIRECTIVES OF THE SPIRIT, TO MAINTAIN CLEAR FOCUS ON WHAT, AND WHERE, WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE, AND TO REMAIN THERE FAITHFULLY.

TO KNOW THAT OUR PROMOTION IS WITHIN THE OBJECTIVE AND NATURE OF WHAT THE LORD SPOKE TO US YESTERDAY, AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR NEXT PROMOTION WILL COME FROM THE NEXT VOICE OF THE LORD, WHO WILL GUIDE US TO THE NEXT SEASON OF HIS ASSIGNMENT FOR US, IS THE DEFINITION OF WISDOM AND MATURITY.