We continue from where we left off. What is our focus when we are in God's vineyard? As you consider that question, let me continue to share how God continued to instruct me.
5. Trusting in God
When applying for the apprenticeship program in Iserve Africa (in my fourth year and second semester), I was excited to join a mission organization to serve and grow for one year. But my biggest challenge was how I was going to survive by raising support. I remember I was troubled and even wondered how to explain it to my family. Actually, my parents were not okay with the matter after hearing this news. After induction, we (apprentices) were tasked to look for partners. I did not know where to start. I was worried, but God burdened many people to partner with me in the gospel work. By God’s goodness, I was able to raise double the amount required by the time I was going for the first ministry training course. I was also fearful of how the whole year would look like. I did not know how to support my family with the small stipend. But by God's grace, I could send a small amount of financial support. When Covid-19 struck, my stipend decreased as some of my partners withdrew due to financial difficulties. But I cannot explain how I used to survive on ksh5,000 per month. All my basic needs were well met. I wasn't sure that I would marry the following year, 2022, but God was providing the necessary resources. In many circumstances, I have been challenged by how God is in control of everything. I have realized I worry for nothing. In other words, I sin against God, and yet, he has said in his word that I should not be anxious. I can surely trust (rely) on God in all times and situations. He is in control, and He can meet our daily needs through Christ Jesus. Trusting in God has given me the confidence to face tomorrow and to live a day at a time joyfully.
6. Rightly handling the word of truth (The Bible)
2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
Rightly handling the Word of truth (the Bible) means interpreting the Bible the way it should be. The Bible is God's word, the Word spoken by God, meaning it's divine. On the other hand, the Bible is also a human book because it was written by men, though inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was written at different times in different cultures, in various places, and for multiple reasons. When I read the Bible, I should approach it as both a divine and human book.
The Old Testament is the promise of the gospel. At the same time, the New Testament is the fulfillment of the promise made in the Old Testament. For this reason, every scripture should be interpreted in the light of the cross of Jesus Christ. Also, every book was written in different contexts, and so one should be mindful of the context of a given text or verse. Being aware of context helps one to avoid scripture misquotations. I had read my Bible many times before, but I did not get it right. Instead of taking the Bible as God's word, breathed out by Him, I used to take it like a mere storybook to derive suitable moral lessons. I could not interpret every book, chapter, verse, or text (especially the Old Testament) in the light of the cross. That goes without saying that even my teachings were wrong to a great extent. But getting and teaching it right doesn't just come. One has to prayerfully work hard by reading the text again and again until one gets it. Working hard to get and teach it right is crucial because God wants us to present ourselves as approved workers by correctly handling (correct interpretation) His Word. Only the hard-working preacher will be able to preach the way the Word is. One of my bible teachers challenged me to assume that God is part of my congregation as I teach. If I think this, I will be careful about how I teach His Word. I will teach people the truth that leads to repentance and godliness. I will seek God's approval and not men's (see 2 Timothy 2:4). The question I should always ask myself is, am I teaching it right? Can God approve me and say, "Well done, my servant. You have taught it right." May the Lord help us be faithful ministers of the gospel like Epaphras (see Colossians 1:7).
7. Big heart for people
Colossians 3:13 says, "Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
The reality in this fallen world is that every second/minute/hour, we fall short of God's glory. We (Christians) sin (though we are saints who are being sanctified). We live with non-Christian friends, family members, etc. We are living in times of the now and not yet kingdom. 1 Timothy 1:15 says, "…Christ came into the world to save sinners –of whom I am the worst". Note the tense of his statement. Paul says that he is a chief sinner. We are great sinners. Deep in our hearts, we are sinful. If we are sinful, we sin against one another. I did wrong to people I was working with. I did wrong to my fiancé. They did wrong to me as well. It follows then that as a minister, I was serving sinful people. I call leaders for meetings, but they failed to show up. All these are still present realities. The reality of fornication among young people is real. Competition in ministry is real. Pride is a real struggle for many people. I mean, people are sinful. I think that is why Paul said in Colossians 3:13 that we should bear with and forgive one another. We are to extend God's grace to one another because God is always gracious to us. He forgave us in Christ, and so we should forgive other people. Forgiveness is one way to show people love. Having a big heart to accommodate them regardless of who they are. I learned to teach them the truth of the gospel. Still, with great patience and careful instructions, as Paul would tell Timothy (see 2 Timothy 4:2). I learned to be patient with them even when they were not responding positively, knowing that it's God who changes people. Christ-centered love is the real love that entails loving others as Christ loved us. It is the only love that makes us bear with and forgive one another. Christ's love is the perfect love that binds us in perfect unity regardless of our weaknesses, differences and struggles with sin. The love of Jesus Christ is the only love that makes us correct brothers and sisters in love. May we have a big heart and love everybody.
8. Contentment
1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is a great gain."
Lack of contentment is one of the great sins I struggled with. My sinful heart has always had a desire to accumulate more and more (which is greed) of material things. In my first year of the apprenticeship program, we were supposed to raise money to cater for our living costs. Sometimes, I used to raise more, while other times, I could raise less, and for this reason, I found myself struggling a lot. But I can say that God used this circumstance as a means of grace to sanctify me. He taught my heart to be content with the little I would get. Instead of longing to receive more, I should have longed to give more. He has taught me that instead of becoming greedy, I should become generous. We will only have our joy complete once we learn to be content and generous. We should become more givers than receivers, and the more we give, the more we kill our sin of greed. Learning to give is the path to contentment. I have yet to attain contentment, but instead, I am a work in progress. May the Lord help me.
9. Alignment of God's resources in God's mission
Colossians 1:16, "…for in him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth …all things have been created through him and for him."
When I was on campus, it was a strange thing to hear people raising money for ministry work (by then, I only knew FOCUS-Kenya, who offered apprenticeship opportunities as STEM staff to work for students). How can one receive financial support from friends? Can people really give? The only giving I knew was tithing and offering on a Sunday service, and of which I wasn't giving generously. I was giving to receive blessings from the man of God. Clearly, it was not a gospel-centered giving. In the course of the apprenticeship program, I learned that all things were created by God and for God. If then He is the creator and owner of all things –money included, then all these things should be used for His glory. Every resource I have is not mine, but God is the owner, and these resources should be used for His glory. They should be used for the advancement of the kingdom purposes. They should be used for the advancement of the gospel. It is a great sin not to use what God has created for the advancement of the gospel. My ministry partners have put this principle into practice. They have challenged my stinginess towards supporting Christian ministry. They have challenged me to use what I have for the advancement of the gospel. May the Lord continually bless them according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I have learned that I should support the ministry by giving out God-given resources so that his kingdom may grow for his glory. May we use our resources for God's glory.
10. Writing and oral communication skills
Colossians 4:4, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."
As a preacher of the Word, one should be clear in his communication. We should teach it clearly so that people get our message clearly and, in turn, they believe it. I am still a work in progress, but I have grown in this area of communication, both verbally and in writing. I pray that God will always help me be clear in my communication of the gospel as it should.
In the end
Service in God’s vineyard is based on trust, not trusting in yourself but trusting in God. Worry often overshadows us, mainly because we do not know the future. Nonetheless, God is good, and though we may not perceive His ways, we can trust that they will lead to our good. Therefore, our great focus as God’s servants is evangelizing the truth of the Gospel, loving God’s people, serving with contentment, and committing our resources to God’s mission. As we focus on such things, our gracious God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, orders our life in the background, away from the visible eye, all for His glory and our good, thus overwhelming us with great joy in His service.
