Today’s Inspiration Station With Rhonnie Scheuerman

Focus On Honoring Christ, Not Personal Ambition !

Author:  Alden Marshall-Writer for Newspaper “Mountain Press”

How much of our ambition is for the glory of Jesus Christ, and how much is for our own glory ! 

And yes preachers and singers need to ask ourselves prayerfully that question at least as much as others should

Are we content to fade into obscurity if that best honor Jesus Christ. Here is the observation of John the Baptist on that issue, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  These were unselfish  spoken sincerely.  Yet  when John was thrown into prison (and later murdered) , he was so discouraged that he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he really was the Messiah or should they look for another!

Did Jesus use this opportunity to criticize John? No.  He reminded John of the miracles he had done, and said the person who is not offended in him is blessed.  Do we sincerely want to be blessed by God? Then we must seek glory for our selves.  Does that mean we should not look for a spouse, a job, health, or better ways to serve God?

This is where the holy spirit should be invited into the situation, Because the Bible is not specific  about any of these matters for me or you.

How  much we should increase and how much we should push for our gifts and abilities to be valued should be on ongoing matter of prayer.  Frankly , I try to “pray through” about such matters of great importance.  This means to pray until we have the peace (or lack of peace).  of God  regarding a particular person or circumstance , and how and where we should proceed.

David in the Old Testament and Paul  in the New Testament  got that kind of guidance time after time.  So have I and many Christians regarding a wife or about taking a particular pastorate or not, etc.

How good it is to get other sincere and Godly people to pray with us about matters that are very important to us, when possible.  Then  God will either give us the grace/favor from Him to endure the situation, or he will lead us into a more pleasant one.  In my own life, as with John the Baptist and probably all followers  of Jesus , I am sure that very difficult circumstantiates  have caused me to draw closer to him and more dependent on him.

The Russian writer  Solvents  said he blessed his prison walls, for there he became a Christian.  As we draw neat to Jesus for the first time or more deeply , our ambition will be that, our ambition will be that he may increase, whether we increase or not in the sight of others!

Dr.  Alden Marshall is a Presbyterian minister who live in Gatlinburg, TN.