June 27, 2016 - "We Are All Ministers"

Chaplain’s Corner

June 27, 2016

We Are All Ministers

Good Morning Patriots!

Today's blog post may seem a little bit self-serving, on the surface, but in reality it should be something we all take to heart and act on in our lives in whatever way our circumstances dictate.

I am here as your Chaplain, to serve you. The term "Chaplain" is not to be misconstrued as a position of authority. I am a minister, but that term is also misused a lot. The simple fact is the term "minister" simply means "to serve" or "a servant" depending on application. In ancient Bible times, it was a servant's responsibility to look after the interests of his master, and there were many jobs to be done. The lowliest job of all was the job of washing the feet of guests who came into the home. This servant was "ministering" to the guest, or serving him, and attending to his needs, as the roads were dusty and everyone walked when they traveled.

That guest was often given a meal, and the servants were given the job of waiting on, and serving the guest and the master at the table, waiting until the master's work was done before even enjoying a meal of their own. There were all of the household activities to be attended to, and many times, there were other activities, such as farming, shepherding, etc. All of these servants worked with a common goal in mind: to do the work to the best of their abilities to serve the master. It was a way of life, and many servants loved their masters and were very loyal to them.

Fast-forward to our day, and how does this illustration apply to us? As the State Chaplain, I am a servant of the Master, Jesus Christ, and it is my responsibility to oversee the needs of the group in very practical ways. Our relationship with Jesus is a spiritual one, and so my job is to try to help fulfill the spiritual needs of my brothers and sisters here in the group. I am not your spiritual "leader"... Jesus Christ is your spiritual Leader, and I am but a lowly servant, tasked with the responsibility to "wash your feet" or "feed you a meal" or see to your other needs as a guest of the Master, or a member of His household.

If you were to think of me as a "leader" I would say that I can only lead by example, but my imperfect human example is always going to be flawed, and when you concentrate on me or my abilities, you will always be disappointed and see my fallen flesh and imperfections. Trying to set someone on a pedestal is always a recipe for disaster, because we ALL fall, and the higher we are on a pedestal, the harder we fall. And when a spiritual "leader" falls, the ripple effects can be a disaster to all involved. It can damage the faith of those who are not firmly grounded in their relationship with the Master, and can cause shame and sorrow. A good way to avoid this whole scenario is to take your eyes off the "leader" and set your gaze on the Leader.

When I talk with or advise any of you personally, please don't listen to me personally. Hear the words, but understand the heart and intent behind the words. Please seek to hear the Word of God, rather than the word of a mere man. My goal is to serve you, and to try to help fulfill a spiritual need in a time of necessity, but in the long run, I cannot do it for you. Your spiritual relationship with the Master is something only you can have, experience, and cultivate. Your walk with the Master may start off as that of a guest, but ideally, your walk will end up as being, one of the family. As a family member, you will see that everyone needs to contribute to the common good, and as such, we family members all need to do our part, our share, in taking care of the needs of the household.

Are you a potential foot washer? How about a cook? A server? Will you do the laundry? Clean the house? Work the fields? Tend the sheep? What task does the Master have in mind for you? Will you see it as a job, or an opportunity to share in the smooth operation of a blessed household? Will you sit back and watch your fellow family members do all of the work, or will you be motivated by love to assist? It's all about the heart, brothers and sisters, and we have to cultivate a willing heart. It's not easy, because our hearts are defective from birth, and we resist the goodness and purity of God every day, due to imperfection. Our heart can and will be treacherous, even when we are convinced that it is being friendly.

Do you remember when Jesus was talking about His impending death? The Apostle Peter was genuinely trying to be supportive, and spoke words of comfort to Jesus, saying that these things would not happen. He lacked the insight to know and understand that even in his quest to be comforting to his Master, his words were simply belying a heart that did not understand or appreciate the whole purpose of Jesus' suffering and death. Jesus actually responded to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:25 - NIV

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking with our emotional heart, rather than with our spiritual heart. The things we say and do may actually be an attempt to show love and compassion for our fellow man, or show our support for some situation they are in. However, we should always seek God's face, and His direction in all matters. We need to learn to cultivate a spiritual heart, one that understands God's purpose, and one that sees beyond the mere flesh. One of our daily prayers should be begging God to change our hearts, molding them into a heart that will truly reflect God in our lives, both in practice and in intent. God can and will give you wisdom, discernment, and peace in your heart. You just have to ask, and really mean it. It is a matter of surrender. We are created as free moral agents, and we have the choice to rule ourselves, or beg Him to sit on the throne of our hearts. Believe me, the second choice should be a no-brainer.

So, as your brother, I ask you to consider my words to you as those of a servant wishing to do the will of his Master. I ask you to see my posts, or hear my advice, and weigh them in your mind and your heart, and test them against your knowledge and understanding of our loving Master. Make it a matter of daily prayer, and seek His face in everything. The more we let go of our own egos, and freely give over our hearts to Him, the better our quality of life will be, and more we can be used in His house to attend to His will. We are all servants, brothers and sisters, so we are all ministers of the Word. You have a path to follow, and a destiny with Christ. How you respond, and how you allow Him to work in your heart and in your life will go a long way to shortening the process.

I ask you all to pray for me, as I honestly do pray for you every day. Some of you I pray about specifically by name, but I still raise up our entire group corporately in prayer, too. Let's work together and seek to find our place in His house, and do what we can to make the family life operate as smoothly as possible, for His glory and our eternal happiness...

God Bless you, every one, and:
God Bless America!
Stephen King
Chaplain@3upi.com