Comparison has been the key disqualifying voice of the first part of my life. I compared myself with what I saw and what I heard in others. As I got older and came closer to those heroic figures I soon realised that they had the same character flaws as myself and some had worse ones! Superstars are usually people we don’t really know.
Today you can walk into any situation and have confidence no matter who is in the room. You have every right to be there. You may be dwarfed by educational qualification, beauty, wealth and experience yet still feel this is the place where you should be. You belong here. It is not because of your own ability, title or prestige but because of Jesus and your confidence to be anywhere is always found in Him.
Paul walked into a private meeting with the most influential Church leaders of his day and said this:
“As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favouritism—they added nothing to my message.” (Galatians 2 v 6)
His private meeting was with the original friends of Jesus. They had been with Jesus for 3 years. Yet Paul was able to say they added nothing to his message meaning he was not operating a faulty message. He was not disrespecting them. Rather he was defending his position to the false teachers by saying there had been no editing, no reworking and no fine-tuning of the gospel he was preaching.
But it is true that Paul was not overawed by the presence of these friends of Jesus. For Paul was now also a friend of Jesus too. These apostles were of great standing in the community of Jerusalem, they were the heroes of the faith and yet Paul was carrying the same message and the same authority. Let’s be careful how much we puff up these men and women of God. Honour yes. But worship and tip-toeing around NO!
A cult-figure cannot be spoken against; A cult-figure is never wrong; A cult-figure has an attraction either in appearance, riches or displays of power; A cult-figure is not God but is the way people grow and experience God; A cult-figure will always want to remain in place; Every man of God is a man; Every prophetess is a woman. God is God.
The higher they are built up the harder they will fall when you come to the realisation they are only human after all.
The red carpet always belongs to God.
Missions Paul 