STRIVING FOR MASTERY

The honor of leadership is one that no man can take unto himself. It is the Father that must call us into the privilege of this type of servitude. Nevertheless, though we may lead others, it is imperative for us to remember that we are also participants of this race to the Kingdom. We are ministers and also sons of God, therefore we must not only teach and disciple the word of the Lord, but as His children, we must obey His commandments.

Consider the scripture below:

2 Timothy 2:2-5

2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Consider the ministerial instructions that Paul gave Timothy.

1. He is to disciple the Apostle’s doctrine to individuals that would become leaders in their own right (verse 2). This facilitates growth in the Body and the spreading of the Word of God.
2. He is to endure all tribulation and resist all temptation walking in a level of discipline that is likened unto a soldier. (verse 3)
3. He is expected to behave himself in a suitable character that pleases the one that called him to be a leader. (verse 4)

Strive for Masteries

Paul uses the analogy of an athletic competition to illustrate our walk of faith. Masteries here refers to the promised award to the top competitor. However, in order for this athlete to win the medal they m?ust abide by all the rules, even though they evidently excel in the sport. In our case, our award is to be found in Christ at His coming. Similarly, the leaders of God must abide by the same laws as everyone else. /They must obey God in all things. And when this is done, they are striving lawfully for the Kingdom.

If the leader or pastor has not comprehended God in his life’s experiences or in those of his congregation, he will not have an effectual revelation of God’s purpose for the church. His message will be weak, meaning it will not form the character of Christ in the sons. It will only produce people like himself - those who are emotional, destructive and those who don’t consider God’s purpose in situations, circumstances and relationships.They will be crippled by the offenses that they will inevitably face; and they will be no match for the coming tribulation that is predestined for the church.

Female leaders in particular must be very mindful of this. Oftentimes, if a female leader is not walking in the purpose of God in her own life, she will produce men who are feeble-minded and women who are emotional. Her message and her walk will sympathize with mindsets that ought to be corrected. Women in ministry must be careful that their softness does not supersede the purpose of God.

Male or female, if a leader is unable to discern Christ in their personal situations, circumstances or relationships, then they are spiritually blind and cannot effectively lead people into the heart and mind of God. Realness is the only safeguard against spiritual blindness. It is admitting where you are and how you feel, and then submitting to the Word of God. This submission will cause you to embrace suffering as the will of God for you, and will produce faithfulness in you. This is what you will now minister to the people in your care.

You cannot judge your submission to the word of God, by how gladly you receive it, how often you entertain it, or how dutiful you are in ministry. You can only judge submission to the word by whether or not to obey it. So often, we receive the Word of God with gladness, but are not willing to perform it when it opposes what we want. These do not have to be tangible things, but can be reputation, authority, power and control.

In the scripture, Paul encouraged Timothy not to entangle himself with the affairs of this life:

ENTANGLE - to weave in, to be involved, to entrap

a. Not seeking REPUTATION for self;

b. Not seeking AUTHORITY, POWER or CONTROL;

c. Not seeking to PLEASE men.

All of these must be granted by God Himself. If we receive them any other way, they are unlawfully obtained. For the sake of the people in our spheres of influence, we must renounce all wants. We cannot afford to cause people to believe that these things should be obtained through efforts of striving, and not by the ordination of God.

Putting power and authority into the hand of an unskilled workman can be quite disastrous. An unskilled workman is one who is not equipped with the requisite character for the task that he is given. He is one who cannot be relied on to manifest Christ in every situation, circumstance or relationship. When an unskilled workman is placed into a position of power and authority, it creates fear in the heart of the people. Because they have not seen that workman sustain a walk in the Spirit, they will not have the confidence or expectation of Christ to come forth from that vessel consistently, and will subsequently see them after the flesh.

This is why the Holy Spirit will build character first, and set the stage for that character to be manifested to all, before granting power and authority. If this did not happen in a person’s life, we must remember God is still in control. If an individual moved too quickly or received power and control unlawfully, God knows how to discipline and chasten them so that they can receive the wisdom and understanding that they side-stepped.

God has put measures in place in our lives to ensure that we strive lawfully: these include chastening (son-training), rebuke, reproof, persecution, affliction, suffering, lack and self-denial. We must learn how to accept them if we are to receive the crown of life. God loves us and with His foresight and foreknowledge, He has appointed us to suffer. He has also predetermined how much we can endure, and will ensure that our suffering does not exceed our ability to bear it. Therefore, whether the tests and trials in our lives are designed to reveal godly character in us, or to destroy any negative mindset that we operate in, they ultimately bring us to mastery. This mastery is a steadfast walk in the Spirit, where we can finally receive the prize of eternal life.