How Do We Know When to Minister and When to Say, "No"?
I have received a good bit of feedback about my articles on "Responsibility Triangles or Rescue Triangles". Many of my readers know this problem for they face it daily. Ministry leaders, pastors and servants of Christ are especially vulnerable. In this blog I will share how to know when ministry is legitimate and when it is wrong.
There are three rules that can guide us. The Golden Rule, The Lead Rule and The Stone Rule. We all know the first, The Golden Rule. "Do for others that which you want them to do for you." Ministers and servant leaders often violate this rule by doing MORE for others than they would want done for themselves. Most ministers do not like to RECEIVE but they love to GIVE. they do not want to be treated like a child but they often treat others like children.
When we want others to treat us with dignity and assist us as we help ourselves we are following the Golden Rule.
The Lead Rule is as heavy as Gold but relatively worthless. Heavy weighty and worthless things happen when we: "Do for others what they should be doing for themselves."
The Stone Rule is similar but worse, much worse. It is, "Trying to do for others the things that only God can do." When we attempt to save, heal, deliver or change others we are guilty of the Stone Rule.
The people in New Orleans were not able to help themselves so we must treat them with dignity and offer basic necessities whether they bless us or not. That is how I want to be treated so I shall treat them thusly.
However, I will not attempt to do for them that which only they can do for that is disrespectful and demeaning to them and harmful to me. (It is sinful.)
I will not try to do for them that which only God can do for that is idolatry. Building gods of stones is the worst thing I can do. (It is sinful.)
(C) Gary Sweeten from Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
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2 comments:
Right you are, Gary. I like the "triangle" of rules you have to help us avoid triangulation. Doing for others what they can do for themselves (or what only God can do) is a trap for all parties involved -- and we ministers fall in to it sooooooo easily.
I read an interesting article on the BBC website about the famine in Niger -- it talks about how foreign aid organizations come in and flood the market with free food, and then they make it impossible for African farmers to make a living, thus making the crisis even worse (when if we had empowered Africa to take care of themselves by simply supplying a little financial aid to purchase goods from African farmers to meet the short term need, then everyone would win).
And there's a setting in blogger where you can turn off access from those annoying ads, like the previous comment. I forget what it is, though -- search around and you'll find it.
Russell
Right you are, Gary. I like the "triangle" of rules you have to help us avoid triangulation. Doing for others what they can do for themselves (or what only God can do) is a trap for all parties involved -- and we ministers fall in to it sooooooo easily.
I read an interesting article on the BBC website about the famine in Niger -- it talks about how foreign aid organizations come in and flood the market with free food, and then they make it impossible for African farmers to make a living, thus making the crisis even worse (when if we had empowered Africa to take care of themselves by simply supplying a little financial aid to purchase goods from African farmers to meet the short term need, then everyone would win).
And there's a setting in blogger where you can turn off access from those annoying ads, like the previous comment. I forget what it is, though -- search around and you'll find it.
Russell
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