As a follower of Christ, you must learn the art of handling criticism. No matter what you do, they’ll come. People will craft stories about you merely to defame your name and the Jesus you profess. But the good news is that those people didn’t call you; God did.
Preach what God teaches you, not what you think. Your preaching will be devoid of any mix of heresy when you refuse to mix it with your own philosophies and ideologies. Jesus is enough. Preach Him!
Can I encourage you, dear preacher? Don’t give up ministering because of criticisms, low patronage of your sermon or people leaving the church. No! The Lord who called you will strengthen you. Just stay faithful to God’s commission. He will lift you.
Whether you’re an ordained pastor or a servant in the Lord’s house, reaching out to others with the message of Christ is your responsibility. You have been given the message of reconciliation to live as an ambassador of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Learn to enjoy Jesus no matter how busy you are. Create a strong boundary between time for work and time for Jesus alone while leaving everything aside. That will help you enjoy the Lord very well as you make an impact in His name.
Never give up on God, even in the midst of fierce persecution. He knew how much you would be persecuted since the day you accepted Jesus as Lord and personal saviour. He knows how to carry you forward in the faith till the end. Just don’t give up.
Pruning is painful. But it is God’s way of purging us from any filth in our walk with Him. Every believer who’s serious about God will definitely go through this kind of season in his life.
As believers, God wants us to live so pure and holy that we have nothing to do with sin, even in our weakest selves.
Obey your spiritual leader. Honour him very well. But don’t come to church or serve in the ministry because of him, otherwise, that would be an eyeservice and that is not pleasing before God. Remember to seek Jesus in all that you do.
Leaders usually do in secret what people see in public. So when others desire to follow them, they are oblivious to the fact that their excellence in what they do is a product of the consistent practice of what they do behind the scenes. If you want to lead your generation by example, teach them to do what you do instead of making them admire you.
Just as a lighthouse guides ships safely through stormy seas, God’s Word illuminates our path and orders our steps with divine clarity (see Psalm 119:105). You must pray until you get direction from God whenever you get stuck.
Every person has been given something by God and no matter how little, He expects you to exercise wisdom when using it.
