A phenomenon which has long fascinated me is the formation of an internal view of ourselves which influences who we are and what we become.As far back as 1985 I was making notes on this theme, so before I discuss some of my current observations I will give you some of the background to my thinking. Here is the note I made back in 1985….Vietnamese boat people arrive here in flight from their homeland. – with only what they can carry – robbed by pirates and respected only as “refugees”.In the refugee camps around the world people are hoarded together and reduced to the point where they are denied any respect of wealth, education or social status.Yet when these people are resettled or can return to their homeland, they very quickly restore themselves to the status and wealth they had lost. Despite the fact that they all re-start as equals the ‘equality’ quickly disappears as some soar to success and wealth while others languish.What unseen quality assures wealth to the wealthy and success to the successful, despite the loss of both in the mid-stream?It is the personal ‘inner view’ held by the individual. When a person knows their self to be wealthy and successful they can be stripped of everything but that inner knowledge. Upon release from the restrictive circumstances that deny expression of previous wealth and success, the individual automatically sets themself on a course to regain that which they know is theirs.Within the refugee camp people can appear identical in appearance and stature, but within each individual is a personal value that resembles exactly the status they are measuring out for them self. This is what they will attain to when given the opportunity. Their potential is intrinsically linked to their inner view of who and what they are. [When I wrote my book, Family Horizons, in 1995 I drew on the example of refugees being resettled in a city to point out that people have differing “horizons” for themselves. So this idea of each person’s “inner view” is something that remains significant in my observations of people and life.]
Restoring Ministries
Do you know of pastors who are out of ministry? It is not uncommon in big churches to find a few former ministry people. I believe God wants to reactivate some of those ministers, back to the calling on their life. Many of them still carry their ministry burden, but have moved out of ministry for one reason or another. Once out of the saddle they find it hard to get going again.
There are two allegories for this situation, which I will discuss in future postings. One is that of “Gates” and the other is that of “Wells”. I believe God has raised up men and women to be both gates and wells within His Kingdom. Just as Gates can be bricked in and closed, and just as wells can be plugged up, people with ministry calling can find themselves unable to do what they were once called to do.
It is a time of RESTORING MINISTRIES, releasing men and women of God to be Open Doors and Flowing Rivers of Life, instead of bricked up gates and stopped wells.
If you know someone who is away from their ministry calling please join with me in praying that God restore their ministry and put them back into effective Ministry for God’s glory.