Sol Wise Update

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.
Revelation 4:4

While reading Revelation 4:4, the thought crossed my mind, "Wow! To be like one of those elders! Who are they, and how come they got to be so close to the throne of God? What did they do to get up there?"

BUT...
God made those elders for that purpose. It doesn't matter why.
As for how they got there, in such close proximity to the Lord God? That's none of my business. God put them there.
As for my wanting to be like them? No. God put me here for His own reasons.

We look at people and wonder how come they got "up there", and some become jealous, wanting that position and status. But is that perspective correct on our part?

God made each one for His own purpose - mine different from yours. I must fulfill my purpose without boasting in myself, without arrogance, as you must do yours. The only reason I'm doing what I do, is because God put me there to do it.

We all have hopes and dreams to which we aspire.
We'd like to be like this person, or that person or serve in a different manner. But really, what our hope should be:

It's not about competition or being better than another.
It's not about gaining a particular person's favour over someone else who's also trying to gain that person's favour.
It's not about the relative importance of one ministry over the next or of one person's talent and gifting over the next.

WE put things into that perspective BUT God is no respecter of persons. As He gives, He expects us to use our abilities and serve - not in arrogance, but in humility.

We need to keep clear in our thoughts, that whatever we have, whatever our gifts and talents, whatever the extent of such in comparison with others, that we are merely the created beings of the Most High God. He chose us and He crafted each one of us and gave us each a free will.

Sometimes we use that free will to belittle others, to step on others, to exalt ourselves above others. But at the end of the day, we have all been created.

I did not choose my God-given talents, giftings and position and neither did you. You may preach to millions, sing for the world and I may be only a doorkeeper, but if it is what God created me for, then I am certainly fulfilling my purpose in life.

If I don't keep that door but want to be like you, then in my arrogance, I call God a liar. If I think He made a mistake or that He should have done something another way; or if I question His decision and methods, I make myself greater that God.
Sounds familiar?

Let all in the body of Christ treat each one with the level of respect, favour and admiration we desire for ourselves. Let us truly rejoice in our humility and leave despising for the devil's agents.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us build up each other and put aside coarse joking and evil speaking. Let us as one body of different parts, each function in our God-given position in unity with the other parts.

Let us take time to encourage one another with respect to what God has given us to do. Let us all cultivate as our first desire to find and fulfill our own purpose, so that we would not be ashamed at the Lord's appearing; so that we may rejoice with each other at His coming and hear His words -
Well done!.

L.N.R. - December 2009