I like to have a whinge. I mean, don't you as well? Someone cuts me off in traffic and I struggle to stay holy. Someone pushes in at the supermarket and I'm praying for the gift of patience.
And let me give you some other examples. You are going to love this one... The Divisional Commander sends another email with three important action points. The Public Relations Department need your involvement in a fundraising initiative. Someone in the Corps broke their toe-nail again, and it's an emergency. Someone didn't show up to a rostered-on ministry opportunity. So-and-so let you down again.
We have reason to whinge. Sure. We could justify it. Each of the reasons push our buttons. We feel validated in having a good ole' gossip session with another colleague. We feel justified in complaining about the Corps Officer behind his/her back. We could list 10 reasons why I should be allowed to whinge.
Though, here's my point:
The world doesn't change, when we spend our time whingeing about it.
Revival doesn't come in the midst of cynicism and bad attitudes. It's ushered in, in the midst of passionate, prevailing prayer meetings, couple with innovative, dynamic, Christ-centered mission.
The Salvation Army won't reform and be shaped into God's ultimate design with coalitions of mediocrity gathering around the water-cooler.
Wow, I'm hitting on a nerve here.
I've decided to take a different path. Maybe it's the path less traveled. Now, I'm no saint, but I've just woken up to something recently.
Administration exists. Quite often for good reasons.
We minister in a broken world. Get used to it.
Life is difficult. Not everyone has time to stroke your ego.
The Lord never said ministry was going to be easy. The Lord simply promised he would be with you in the midst of it.
The prevailing culture is not going to stir you up to think outside the box. Most likely the culture is pushing you back in it.
We live in the tension of a Kingdom-here, but a Kingdom yet to be grasped and realised in its entirety. That's why there's still hurt and pain, sickness and untimely death. We live in a world, where we cry out for God's Kingdom come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I sense at times, we have unknowingly fostered a culture of entitlement, where everyone wins, and everyone gets what they want. Then, ones world comes crashing down when they collide with a culture that has high expectations of them, that holds them accountable and calls them to a life that puts others above themselves.
I need to be reminded, and Salvation Army, we need to be reminded: Quit complaining.
Now, maybe I sound like I'm complaining and thus become somewhat hypocritical in my writing. Forgive me. I just long for The Salvation Army to go deeper, further and higher. I long for God to challenge me and this movement to grow up IN Christ.
A great move of God came in the early Salvation Army. I like to think it came because prayer meetings were overflowing, people were absolutely sold-out to helping broken people and preaching the gospel, and early Salvationists stay focused on transforming the world for Christ.
I'm drawing a line in the sand. I will no longer say, 'I'm busy.' Or, 'I'm tired.' I don't want to groan about another leader. I don't want to compare others, criticise others or speak ill of others. I will no longer swim with the tide of communal cynicism and pity parties formed in the wake of the latest annoying 'thing.'
I quit Salvation Army complaining.
Jesus is coming back soon.
__________________________
'In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless...' - Philippians 2:14-16 (NLT).
(These writings/thoughts do not represent the official position of The Salvation Army)
And let me give you some other examples. You are going to love this one... The Divisional Commander sends another email with three important action points. The Public Relations Department need your involvement in a fundraising initiative. Someone in the Corps broke their toe-nail again, and it's an emergency. Someone didn't show up to a rostered-on ministry opportunity. So-and-so let you down again.
We have reason to whinge. Sure. We could justify it. Each of the reasons push our buttons. We feel validated in having a good ole' gossip session with another colleague. We feel justified in complaining about the Corps Officer behind his/her back. We could list 10 reasons why I should be allowed to whinge.
Though, here's my point:
The world doesn't change, when we spend our time whingeing about it.
Revival doesn't come in the midst of cynicism and bad attitudes. It's ushered in, in the midst of passionate, prevailing prayer meetings, couple with innovative, dynamic, Christ-centered mission.
The Salvation Army won't reform and be shaped into God's ultimate design with coalitions of mediocrity gathering around the water-cooler.
Wow, I'm hitting on a nerve here.
I've decided to take a different path. Maybe it's the path less traveled. Now, I'm no saint, but I've just woken up to something recently.
Administration exists. Quite often for good reasons.
We minister in a broken world. Get used to it.
Life is difficult. Not everyone has time to stroke your ego.
The Lord never said ministry was going to be easy. The Lord simply promised he would be with you in the midst of it.
The prevailing culture is not going to stir you up to think outside the box. Most likely the culture is pushing you back in it.
We live in the tension of a Kingdom-here, but a Kingdom yet to be grasped and realised in its entirety. That's why there's still hurt and pain, sickness and untimely death. We live in a world, where we cry out for God's Kingdom come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I sense at times, we have unknowingly fostered a culture of entitlement, where everyone wins, and everyone gets what they want. Then, ones world comes crashing down when they collide with a culture that has high expectations of them, that holds them accountable and calls them to a life that puts others above themselves.
I need to be reminded, and Salvation Army, we need to be reminded: Quit complaining.
Now, maybe I sound like I'm complaining and thus become somewhat hypocritical in my writing. Forgive me. I just long for The Salvation Army to go deeper, further and higher. I long for God to challenge me and this movement to grow up IN Christ.
A great move of God came in the early Salvation Army. I like to think it came because prayer meetings were overflowing, people were absolutely sold-out to helping broken people and preaching the gospel, and early Salvationists stay focused on transforming the world for Christ.
I'm drawing a line in the sand. I will no longer say, 'I'm busy.' Or, 'I'm tired.' I don't want to groan about another leader. I don't want to compare others, criticise others or speak ill of others. I will no longer swim with the tide of communal cynicism and pity parties formed in the wake of the latest annoying 'thing.'
I quit Salvation Army complaining.
Jesus is coming back soon.
__________________________
'In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless...' - Philippians 2:14-16 (NLT).
(These writings/thoughts do not represent the official position of The Salvation Army)
Well said
ReplyDeleteGood luck
Good luck with your quest. TSA just has lost its way in my opinion. Pushes to many people's buttons.
ReplyDeleteFunny how I had to stop myself doing this earlier this evening :-)
ReplyDeleteFunny, I don´t recall ever complaning and even so I was pushed away from officership... sad, unholy leaders lead to bad judgements. Sometimes I wonder what William Booth would say of this SA.
ReplyDeleteLPR
These words of yours, Pete, are a much better option than complaining! "A great move of God came in the early Salvation Army. I like to think it came because prayer meetings were overflowing, people were absolutely sold-out to helping broken people and preaching the gospel, and early Salvationists stayed focused on transforming the world for Christ."
ReplyDeletePlease explain why The Salvation Army considers itself a "movement" instead of the church - the Body of Christ.
Delete