remember one evening after a grueling days work, I started complaining to my wife about my construction company taking so much of my time away from ministry.

“God has given me too many gifts to let them go to waste working a 6 to 6”, I grumbled.

How will I ever be able to record a CD that will minister to people and grow the Yuinon if 85% of my day I spend working? How will I ever complete what God has before me if I don’t move now? I will never forget what she said:

“Jason, you have to be very careful now. Producing hip-hop has always been a dream of yours but now your dream has become intertwined with ministry. Be careful to not force your dreams into His will.”

That was profound to me. I had to stop and make sure my motives were in line with HIS will for my life. I asked myself, “Why on earth am I frustrated with where I’m at in ministry, when God gave me my gifts and this burden to do HIS will? After many years of heartbreaks and tears, I finally realized that if I wanna move from one level to the next, I had to learn how to become content with where God has me at a particular time and moment. He knows what we need to be effective in ministry, so why do we fret? Are we after our dreams or His will?

Have we forgotten that HIS thoughts are not our thoughts, and HIS ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8)? Nor should we lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5). And the steps of the righteous are ordered by the LORD (Psalms 37:23). Our time is ordained by HIM and HE gave us our gifts for HIS glory. Because of a lack of patience with God’s timing, many ministers have compromised their walk and have justified their decisions with the “You do you & I’ll do me” type of attitude. If the resources aren’t available to you now to accomplish what GOD had for you to do for HIM…..Chill! HE will never give you a responsibility without the resources to pull it off. Getting stressed over money and time for GOD’s ministry is out of line.

“It doesn’t matter when you start; it’s what you do when HE tells you to.”
– Ed Spence / The Remnant Church of Christ

Still waiting on your wedding?

Marriage

Being impatient with where you are is a sign of “self” or “the flesh”. God has a plan for our gifts but we have to do it HIS way. HE speaks way ahead of where we are; knowing that, we must have faith and trust HIM in leading us to the place HE has ordained for us to be for HIS purpose. To my sisters, please stop fretting over when God is going to send you a husband. Marriage is for HIS glory and the advancement of HIS kingdom. So if you’re seeking a husband for yourself, be careful, you may get one custom made for where you are spiritually. Impatience and wrong motives, have led many women into cleaving with a man that wasn’t God’s choice and now they’re walking down the path that leads to divorce. Proverbs 18:22 says, He who finds a wife, not she who finds a husband. The reason you are not married is because God is not ready for you to be married. Have comfort in that. Patience is a virtue and God desires for you to be virtuous (Proverbs 31:10-31 KJV). Pray for the boldness needed to stand firm on HIS ways. It’s all about HIM, never us! If we can just take hold of that, our lives would be a little easier. Be thankful for the season of preparation and get prepared. Knowing when to sit still is one thing, but knowing what to do while still is the key.

“The more we prepare for something, the more equipped we will be to handle the things that come along with that undertaking.”
– Divenomous / Ministry of Preparation Article

Many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). The time between being called and being chosen is preparation. Your preparation will show God if you are ready for the calling, so you must stay connected with HIM to make sure you’re on course for HIS will for your life. Don’t get thrown off course because you have to have a job or time is limited because of other life obligations. Like I said before, be thankful for a season of preparation. God knows what, when and how to accomplish HIS purpose through you. So let go, prepare with prayer and let HIM do HIS thing. It’s all about HIM, never us!

“IF A MAN WILL NOT WORK, HE SHALL NOT EAT.”

– 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Paul worked and ministered the gospel. After his conversion, Paul’s mission wasn’t to be the best tent maker in the world but to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that being a tent-maker (a trade during that time that could be very lucrative) would help him pay the bills while doing ministry for the Lord. This valuable skill as a tent-maker would assist Paul in his travels/ministry. While there may be occasional situations where tent making is necessary because of the financial stability of a particular church, the work of the Kingdom would be greatly restricted if this trade had became the apostles priority. This is why knowing where you are called in ministry is very important. Since I know my calling, I keep my job in perspective. I do not live to work, but I work to live.

* The best work for a minister in my opinion is anything entrepreneurial. This way you are not locked into any set schedule and still can make a descent living.

Submitting To HIS Will

Many believers are mad at God because He hasn’t moved them out of their job into “full time” ministry. Personally “full time” ministry is what it is, ministering full time; on your job, the gym, studio, witnessing, in church, shopping, etc. At one stage in my walk, I battled with quitting my construction company daily. I hated it, although it was means of good income for my family, I felt like I was wasting my life. I would argue with my wife and say, “God gave me too many gifts just for me to die a Tile Setter. I don’t want to be remembered by that!” Now looking back, I see how out of line I was with God’s will. I was more concerned with I than HE. I remember one day I worked 13 hours and I was frustrated with God to the max! My mother in law walked over to me and said, “Jason, until you submit to where God has you, He will never move you.” Man, she was so right. I tried my best to make certain scriptures work for my case to have faith and quit my job, but the Holy Spirit would always convict my heart. I remember one Sunday my pastor said,

“Faith is not a step in the dark. Have faith in God, not faith in faith!”
– Pastor Haman Cross Jr. / Rosedale Park Baptist Church

If I would have quit my job then, my family would have suffered. Also, that bad decision could have possibly ruined the little faith that my 9 year old daughter has in God. For some reason, maybe television, many Christians think that “full time” ministry is the Promised Land and forget that it’s closer to being a slave. The word minister simply means servant. I like the way Jesus said it…

“And whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Matthew 20:27-28

If you are aspiring to use your gifts for God but deep inside you want to blow up and make a living off of it, you are out of line. Your gifts were given to you for HIS glory and for the advancement of HIS kingdom. Look at God as an investor. An investor doesn’t invest his hard earned resources in something that won’t give a return, neither does God. What HE sends out will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). God gave us our gifts and HE expects us to use them to bring HIM glory. Don’t get me wrong, you can possibly make a living off your gift but that should not be your motive or even a thought on why you are using it. We need to be honest with ourselves and make sure we are not walking in false humility (James 4:3). Yes, God knows the desires of our hearts and will fulfill them but don’t get it twisted. The first part of Psalms 37:4 says we are to delight in HIM. In other words, our desires should be HIS will for our lives. Remember, it’s all about HIM, never us!

Blessings – Maji