And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. (Rom 12:6 NET) We sometimes forget whose value system we are supposed to be living by. We get ourselves into all sorts of trouble, confusion and depression because we are living by the wrong system. Living by the wrong value system gives us a wrong indication of the value of who we are and what we do. We develop a wrong view of other people because we will be evaluating them based on falsehoods. The rich young ruler assumed he was fit for heaven because his value system emphasised obedience to the law, he was wrong. Some of the disciples were focused on positions and sought to sit at the places of honour at Jesus side, their value system was wrong and they could not receive from Jesus what they wanted. Like many of us, the value system Zacchaeus lived by was that of the accumulation of wealth. He had become very wealthy through various means. One encounter with Jesus made him realise that his value system was incorrect. What needed to guide him was compassion, a strong sense of justice, honesty and the need to address the plight of others. He changed from being self centred to being Christ centred. He discovered that the value system he had been living by did not have true value in the eyes of the One who should matter the most in all our decision making. His ability to make money found its true purpose after he interacted with Jesus. Pauls initial value system had him wholeheartedly pursuing the persecution and elimination of Christians, the opposite of what he was supposed to be doing. He was both revered and feared because of his zeal and effectiveness. As celebrated as he was among those who had the same value system, he was completely off the mark in Gods eyes. After submitting to Jesus, his pursuits and purpose changed. The focus became using all he had for the expansion of the kingdom of God. Paul is amazing because he refused to get drawn into a competition of greatness with other ministers. He knew what he was called to do (the grace on his life) and how he was to do it (Gods value system). He had tremendous respect and appreciation for what he was doing through the grace of God on his life and he made sure he extended that respect and appreciation to others for what they were doing by Gods grace. Paul didnt have great crowds following him everywhere, instead people abandoned him and found him very weird. He did not judge himself by peoples reactions. He did not bind himself to a belief that numbers, popularity and wealth accumulation were signs he was succeeding in his assignment. His value system was based on obedience to the vision God gave him. In spite of being abandoned and having his reputation constantly being dragged through the mud and being questioned, Paul stuck to what he was called to do with all his might. He did not get hung up on the opinions of man. We make the mistake of using a materialistic and worldly value system as the yardstick for what God has graced us to do. We struggle to be faithful to our assignments and gifts because the world always bombards us with the message that we arent as good or successful as another person and so we have no joy or appreciation of who we are and what we are doing. We end up putting our efforts into pursuing ways of living and success that have no value in Gods economy. Like Paul initially, we miss our true purpose in the various sectors of our lives because we have our confidence in the wrong value system. May you see clearly what matters to God about the use of your gifts. May you no longer conform to the pressure and ignorance of the wrong value system. May you be satisfied and find pleasure in doing things that are in line with how God has graced you and let go of every pursuit outside of your mandate.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:18:18 +0000
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