It's Not About Me!

There was a time when the loss of church members would have sent me into several days of discouragement and self-doubt. I can honestly say that the Lord has done a lot inside of me. He’s “grown me up” a little so that I can see things from His point of view.

I have come to realize that when a person is in survival mode, and they have made up their minds to trust their own efforts and plans to get through life, it doesn’t matter how much you preach, teach or even lay your hands on them to pray for them, even God is not going to override their will or their decisions. It has nothing to do with me as a pastor.

It amazes me how many people can leave our meetings and one person is raving about how much they needed the teaching and received the prayer, while others can walk out without receiving anything because the Word and prayer was not what they wanted to hear that day.

I recall how one young lady, in what was to be the last time we were to see her, told us at the end of the service that the she did not like the message that day. She said God had been dealing with her about moving to a certain city and the Word that came forth confirmed what God had told her, but she simply didn’t want to do it. Hopefully she went on and obeyed the Word because she never came back to our church.

Another man told me that he was struggling within himself and didn’t want to come to our church anymore. He said he didn’t like sitting under this kind of teaching, while within himself, he wasn’t ready to change.

I’m realizing, more and more, that many people don’t come to church to encounter God, and thus allow Him to change them. They come to church to try to change God’s mind. When HE doesn’t budge and He doesn’t answer their prayers the way they want them answered, they’re out the door.

What I’m learning, as pastor in this era, is that the response of people is no reflection on me. Even when the responses are positive it is no reflection on me. This is all about the choices that people must make concerning God.

I thought that if I fasted and prayed, spent more time in consecrations and travailed in prayer, that it would bring a breakthrough for everyone in our gathering. What I have learned is that it brought forth breakthrough for me personally, for my family, and for all who are WILLING to open their hearts and obey the Lord’s voice.

So this has been a great lesson: It’s Not About Me!