Family matters

We know how these meetings with family are not always easy to handle; they don’t always end the way we think they would….

People get angry.

Others get disappointed.

And some others state their case and prove their point with too much fervour than is absolutely necessary….

But that’s what families do, right?

Because in the end, just going around the mountain confronting us wouldn’t make it go away – well, unless like Joshua, and the Israelites he was leading, God told you to (just like with the walls of Jericho).

But usually, going around a mountain, holding hands and singing Gospel songs is not the way mountains get moved.

We must do the work.

Confront what needs to be confronted.

Say what needs to be said.

If we’re seeking the good of the family we belong to, we must stop looking the other way when things go the way they’re not supposed to….

And the Church is a family….

So I’m putting my hand up now, waiting my turn to say my piece….

Not to despise anyone’s youth, or anything like that, but I think something is way off when we let people who barely know their left from their right when it comes to the issues of life, to lead large congregations of believers.

No sir, it doesn’t matter all that much, if you’re a fifth or seventh generation preacher. We’re talking about a way of life birthed in blood. A way of life that’s a fight till the very end.

I know about Jeremiah, Timothy, Daniel and his friends, but one thing common in their stories was the call and the preparation by God Himself on their lives.

Preparation that usually included guidance by those who already walked the path they’ve been called to.

Even Jesus, God Himself was on earth for thirty years, preparing for a ministry that spanned only three years.

Moses, Joshua, Elisha, the apostles….

Since He’s sending us as sheep among wolves, there’s no way Jesus would be sending His ministers out unprepared. It truly is a matter of life and death. And the enemy is not playing.

They say youth is wasted on the young. I don’t know if it’s true, but I do know that the horse is made ready before the day of battle. And there is a certain mastery and wisdom that comes with time. All that preparation is part of the work.

Let’s let God lead and prepare His ministers.

Let’s stop letting these young ministers expose themselves unnecessarily to devices and wiles of the enemy.

Zeal without knowledge still doesn’t work.

Add youthful exuberance to the mix… and, well, you get the picture (I hope!)

There is a time and a season for every purpose. And it’s God who is building His Church by Himself.

Letting young ministers who are still growing and have not been proved, lead large congregations, just because they’re qualified by worldly standards is a serious misstep.

We don’t even have to look too far to see how this has impacted the testimony of the Church in these present times.

I believe it’s time to stop moving around this mountain. It has to move.

Older Christians, please be like Priscilla and Aquila. Be willing, and look for opportunities to correct erring young teachers of the Word. If you seek wisdom from God, He would help you see these opportunities and correct these teachers in love.

Older ministers, please don’t look away and remember the old days with sadness because the Word has been watered down and Christian ministry is now done in ways you do not understand. Remember that if God still has you here, then your work is not done yet.

Young ministers, be willing to serve where God has you now, even if it’s under an older minister; like Joshua under Moses. Or Samuel under Eli.

This is a matter of life, death and eternity.

When you see something going wrong, please say so.

And don’t forget that –

…the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much. James 5:16.

Heaven is watching.

May we be responsible with the choices we make.

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24 thoughts on “Family matters”

  1. Dear friend, I hear your zeal, your wisdom, your observations come to life. Your words matter, your courage to speak the truth in love and with grace are much needed.

    Even if you feel like you’re a voice crying in the wilderness, you’re not the only one. And God is faithful to use you to impact others.

    Bless you this weekend, Boma.

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  2. And now I need to hear the rest of the story. What happened after you raised your hand? There is a time and place for everything under Heaven. As long as we have love in our hearts, we must all speak our peace.

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  3. That’s why it’s so important to quit looking to church leaders as our source of connection to God. WE must be connected to God on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis. Otherwise, we get lazy and look to someone else for answers when we need to be seeking God himself.

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  4. So much truth here. Wisdom really must come from time and life experiences. I completely agree. It’s funny to think back to my younger years and how much I was certain I knew. I’ve been really feeling a nudge from God lately to seek out an older, wiser Christian (even though I’m almost 50 😉 ) to walk this journey with. I’m not a minister but I think your words and advice here can serve us all in that way. Thank you for that reminder.

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    • So true, Candace! We’re usually too sure of what we think we know when we’re young. But we can always benefit from the experience and wisdom of those who have walked this road before us. Thanks for visiting. Blessings to you!

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  5. We must learn to bridge the gap Boma. The younger generation with all of its energy and zeal is willing to hear from the older generation, but, in my personal experience, the older generation only wants things done a certain way. When I worked as a youth minister, I could not get anything done because of the older generation. I would raise funds to host a summer camp in the inner city to bring people to the church every day, but the elders said that the electricity bill was too high from us being at the church every day. They complained that we let the air run after the janitors left. Instead of letting us address the problems, use the money we raised to pay the bills, and work with the elders to make sure we did not waste any resources in the future, they told us we could not host the summer camp the next summer. We needed to look at more “traditional” ways to have programs at church. Our children’s church was growing exponentially, but some of the adult parents my age would leave the regular service to attend the children’s service so the elders said that we needed to scale back our activities. We had children deacons, deaconnesses, preachers, and choirs. The elders told us we needed to host more “traditional” children’s programs where the kids did “kid activities” so the adults could get the word the needed at the main church. My sister is an entrepreneur who makes over 6 figures. She came to speak to teenagers at a different church in a different city. She said she received frowns from the adults when she talked about her travels and when asked about how to dress when applying for/interviewing for a job. (She had told the kids to dress for the job they wanted. If they were interviewing for a professional job, then a suit was required, but there were other fields that may require different looks.) They told my dad later (a 60 year old retired engineer) that my sister was the problem with my generation. We fill the teenagers heads with all of these ideas but we are always travelling and unavailable for follow through with the children. (By the way, my sister told the teenagers this information in possible, and another older millenial skyped in from out of the country.) There has to be compromise. I believe the older generations have so much to offer in wisdom, insight, experience, and Bible knowledge. They have to find a way to communicate that knowledge in love so that the church and God’s Word can move forward. Otherwise, we end up battling each other, and that was never God’s plan.

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    • I know how frustrating this could get, Brittany! But it’s true that it was never God’s plan for us to battle each other. We must continually seek truth, the balance that puts it all in perspective. Thanks for visiting and sharing your experience. Blessings to you!

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  6. Thanks for sharing your inspiring post on the #LMMLInkup this past week. We all must support one another even in hard times and even when our own mistakes bring those hard times. We are all human and should uplift each other in prayer.

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