We've all met leaders who seem bent on drawing attention to themselves and building their own kingdoms. A typical response from the body of Christ to such leaders is to point out their errors and to accuse them of being prideful and self-seeking. Even though our accusations may be true, this kind of response will never help them. I don’t believe it is God’s strategy to have us engage in gossip and slander against people who could be helped by our prayers. In order for us to help these leaders, we must take a look at what is causing their problem.
Many of these leaders have suffered repeated rejection throughout their lives. The cause of their self-seeking behavior is that they have an unmet need for affirmation and approval.
Most people who draw attention to themselves suffer from feelings of inadequacy. They believe they are just not good enough. Although they point others to their many accomplishments to gain approval, their inner self-talk is full of negativity. The need they have to hear people say good things about them is an attempt to drown out the voices of criticism they hear internally. Drawing attention to themselves is the only way they know of to receive affirmation and validation. (Trust me on this one. I have plenty of personal experience to speak from.) What they really need is to receive affirmation and validation from Jesus himself.
Some people can read the Bible and accept the fact that Jesus approves of them and affirms them, but for many people, approval and affirmation must come from a personal experience they have with Jesus.
If we want to be effective in helping our leaders to be overcomers, we might pray for them to have personal encounters with Jesus where he validates and affirms them personally. Once they receive his stamp of approval, the unmet need they have for validation is removed and generally, they no longer need to be validated by others. The validation they receive from Jesus crushes the lie from the enemy that says they are not good enough. This usually ends their attempts to build their own kingdom.
So instead of speaking bad about leaders who build their own kingdoms out of a need for validation, we might consider praying for them to be touched and affirmed by Jesus in person.
3 comments:
People's first reaction isn't to love. That's such a shame.
This was a very timely article.
Thanks for that.
YOU MIGHT NOT BE A TRUE APOSTLE BY STEVE FINNELL
SIGNS OF A TRUE APOSTLE.
2 Corinthians 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.
If you are not performing signs, wonders and miracles, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 9:36-41 ....Tabitha...37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died...40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise."....41...he presented her alive.
If you cannot pray the dead back to life, you might not be a true apostle.
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;
If you do not possess the ability to impart spiritual gifts, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 3:1-8 ...2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb....6 But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene---walk!"......8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk...
If perhaps, you do not have the power to heal men who have been crippled from birth, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 5:3-10 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...9 Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last....
If you cannot predict the immediate death of someone who has lied to the Holy Spirit, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 13:8-11.....9 But Saul, who was also know as Paul...10...said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time....
If for some unknown reason you lack the ability to temporarily blind a sorcerer, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 16:16-18 ...a slave-girl having a spirit of divination... 18 But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.
If you cannot cast out occult spirits, you might not be a true apostle.
Acts 2:43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
If you are not capable of performing many signs and wonders, you might not be a true apostle.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER, IS THE APOSTLESHIP CEASED WITH THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLE JOHN 99 AD.
YOU MIGHT NOT BE A TRUE APOSTLE;BECAUSE ALL THE TRUE APOSTLES ARE DEAD!
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http//:steve-finnell.blogspot.com
Sometimes it seems we are more interested in telling folks what they should or shouldn't do and see them through that perspective...at least I find myself guilty of that rather than seeking to identify with them first of all. Those people who build their own kingdoms aren't so much different from each of us, for do we not each in some way do that, maybe not in ministry but in smaller ways? Perhaps we have not repented of our own self generated ways and therefore see others through our own level of "comparison" rather than through that place of common identity. And as one person said...people's first reaction isn't to love....it's not a shame. It is HUMAN and what causes us to realize how much we need Him and how powerless we are to even love apart from Him who is himself Love! I am free from shame and free by His grace to lean upon Him when I don't love out of His love, when I criticize instead of identify. It just tells me that I am human and need my Saviour more and more!
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