“Ministering in Fullness”
Whatever is not of the fullness of God’s Spirit, is from self and for self. If I serve others out of a need in me that needs to be met, I am serving myself. I am using others to make me feel complete. I met a woman who became angry to the point of tears because other people wouldn’t prioritize or put the same emphasis, time and energy into her ministry. I met a pastor who scolded his staff for not doing enough to make the church grow. (Unfortunately, I’ve met quite a few!) This is self-serving. Instead of giving out the overflow of God’s love, they are sucking the life out of others.In ministry, as with any relationship, if I look for something in someone else to fulfill something in me, I am in great danger. If I look to others to validate me, I am self-seeking. \Love “does not seek its own” (1 Cor. 13:5). This is the essence of immature dating relationships and is still evident in many marriages. It‘s also very present in ministry: “For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:13-14).
These legalistic Jewish-Christians based their success on the behavior of others. They needed others to prop them up. Paul was not living to men, for he died to the world. The world has nothing for the believer. Instead, Paul says, “do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:3-8).
Fullness comes though emptiness, the emptying of self. And with humility comes the fullness of God, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Fullness is not bought or sought, but simply received through faith. Receive the fullness of God’s Spirit now. He’s near.
In college, I was led to believe that the fullness of the Spirit came through personal confession of sin and a sincere pursuit of holy living. I set out to purge and purify myself in order to become worthy of fullness. The responsibility of fullness rested at my feet and I was heavy-laden. Fullness never came. In fact, I became very depressed, and even developed shingles! I was seeking sincerely, but was seriously misled. I cannot do for myself what God has already done for me in Christ! “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:3, 4a). I wish someone has told me that then.
Jesus experienced the fullness of God in ministry because He emptied Himself. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands [That‘s fullness!], and that He had come forth from God [so He had nothing to prove to men] and was going back to God [so He had nothing to lose], got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded [He met the needs of men]” (John 13:3-5). Jesus lived with nothing to prove and nothing to lose; crucified to the world and the world to Him; not living to men, but living for men! That’s ministering in fullness!
This life, His life lives in every believer. The Christian life is Christ in you! Fullness is received and experienced as we simply receive and express Christ’s life, allowing Him to live through us. One of Jesus’ final words on earth was to Peter, the Rock of the Church: “…what is that to you? You follow me” (John 21:22b). Don’t worry about what others do. Follow Jesus!
PERU Picts.: bethlehembaptistnet.com. Be sure to click on “Missions.” Also on my facebook.com
