In ministry, no matter how sound, deep, Worded, Spirit-filled, fireful, graced, popular, influential, wealthy, connected and anointed you are, you must realise that there are certain things you can never outgrow.
Those “things” will be a part of you and your ministry till you finish your God-ordained course on this side of eternity.
Ministry is NOT always likened to the biological developmental process where we say something like, “The food that satisfies someone when he’s 8 cannot satisfy him when he’s 21”. While that may be applicable in peculiar spiritual contexts, it is NOT ALWAYS applicable in ministry.
It depends on WHO IS SERVING THE FOOD and WHAT KIND OF FOOD IT IS (spiritually healthy or spiritually poisonous).
It is not everyone that is above you in ministry that will have “depth of doctrine” like you do, but in the wisdom of God, there’s every ounce of spiritual wisdom packaged in the delicacy they dish out because they’re ordained for you.
Pastor Bimbo Animashaun
It is not everyone that is above you in ministry that will have “depth of doctrine” like you do, but in the wisdom of God, there’s every ounce of spiritual wisdom packaged in the delicacy they dish out because they’re ordained for you.
Now, I know we all agree that primarily, no matter our spiritual heights, we cannot outgrow a prayer life, a Bible study life, intimacy with the Holy Spirit and more specifically we cannot outgrow the discipline, corrections and instructions of the Holy Spirit, etc.
You see, in the natural, maturity is measured by independence from your parents but in spiritual things, maturity is measured by your continuous dependence on the Holy Spirit. That’s very straightforward! So, you cannot outgrow intimacy with the Holy Spirit – that’s a constant!
But secondarily, we cannot also outgrow some other things especially that are connected to God-ordained relationships as well as the systems, structures and protocols that God has put in our lives.
Let’s look at some of them here:
- * You cannot outgrow the fellowship of the saints.
- * You cannot outgrow Godly counsels in ministry.
- * You cannot outgrow the blessing of your spiritual father.
- * You cannot outgrow the blessing of your biological parents.
- * You cannot outgrow the companionship of your spouse.
- * You cannot outgrow the love of your family.
- * Plus much more!!!
Till Jesus comes, you cannot outgrow spiritual ministrations from God-ordained authorities in your life.
Accountability is a Kingdom culture. Spiritual ministrations from your God-ordained spiritual authorities – their teachings, counsels, corrections, instructions and impartations, etc. are a constant in your life and ministry. That is the way the system is designed, and any reason for non-compliance is untenable.
For many years before Dad Hagin passed on to glory, you would always see Kenneth Copeland at Hagin’s meetings, taking notes, yet at a time Kenneth Copeland was the richest minister in the world. You see, you will come to a point in your life where you realise that factors such as wealth, fame, crowd, status, etc. do not sum up to SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY.
Bishop David Oyedepo follows Kenneth Copeland and drinks from him till date, and he started drinking since the late 70s, yet Eagle Mountain International Church is not up to some branches of Winners’ Chapel in terms of numerical strength (now I say that with great caution and gravity).
Some young ministers in my generation have outgrown the teachings, corrections and instructions of the authority figures in their lives. But let me submit to you that you may have THE DOCTRINE but you may lack THE WISDOM FOR APPLICATION, COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION, yet that man you look down on as not being deep is got some divine wisdom to help you communicate your depth to bless the Body of Christ.
Many are grounded in ministry today because they’re looking for the wrong things. You see, TRUTH is that none of the early Church apostles had “depth of doctrine” to the level of Paul yet Paul listened to them and even “submitted” his revelation to them – Gal.2:1-2.
You cannot outgrow spiritual ministrations from your God-ordained spiritual authorities. You cannot outgrow the laying on of hands of your spiritual father or his prophetic blessing. Also, you cannot outgrow the blessing of your biological parents. The Word tells us to honour our father and mother so that it may be well with us and so that we may live long on the earth – Eph.6:1-2.
Till date, anytime my mother prays for me, I always open all my heart to receive the blessing.
You see, we’re not talking about “DOCTRINAL DEPTH” here but “SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY”.
I always encourage all my sons and daughters in ministry to honour their parents with their substance, and I have been doing and teaching this principle for years by the Grace of God.
My father used to pray for me before he went home to be with the Lord and I always honoured him in my heart and with my substance. My mother prays regularly for me, and even yesternight she still did, and I always communicate with substance. My father in law still prayed for me this morning and I always communicate with substance. I’m talking facts here, not giving a false impression. I receive the pronouncement of blessing from my spiritual and biological parents and I always communicate substance to them with delight.
You see, if you don’t understand certain PRINCIPLES of the Kingdom, you will think that God is a Shylock or that ministry is a fiasco. Anyone can blow scriptures up and down but if he walks in dishonour, he has finished his ministry without starting.
Also, you cannot outgrow the fellowship of the saints plus Godly counsels from people with whom you have either vertical level ministry relationship or horizontal level ministry relationship. Anyone who feels bigger than the Body of Christ is playing with fire, and anyone who doesn’t listen to Godly counsels will soon go out of circulation if he doesn’t repent.
Thank God for my wife. But for my wife, I would have done some silly things in the past but Godly counsel prevailed.
On a final note, you cannot outgrow the love of your family. You see, family is everything!!!
When every other person forsakes and abandons you, then your family will stay and stick with you. Never abuse your family dear servant of God. Create time for your wife and children. No matter the heat in ministry, your family will always provide succour. You cannot be too anointed to receive love from your family, so treasure your family very greatly.
As we go about to fulfil the mandate of God upon our lives and we keep growing in the things of God, we must know for sure that we cannot outgrow the aforementioned in ministry. A circumvention of this principle makes you a loner, an island and a lone ranger and such circumvention carries grave consequences in the work of the ministry.
Therefore it should be our joy and delight to make judicious use of the platforms of growth that God has made available for us in ministry, learning to grow into certain things and learning not to outgrow certain fundamentals.
May the Lord help us all to stay focused and stay on course till we finish our divine course on the earth.
Amen!
I trust this is a blessing Sirs and Mas?
Exceeding Grace!!!
Pastor Bimbo Animashaun, The Feeding Center
This is powerful!!