Disposable

Have you ever invested in someone or something only to have them brush you away as if you were disposable? You poured your heart and soul out only to be dropped as if you never mattered. NEXT!

Disposable is defined as, “intended to be used once, or until no longer useful, and then thrown away. Why are we such a disposable society when it comes to people? Maybe the bigger question is why are we a disposable church?

Often times, people in ministry or church, are disposed of in the name of the Lord, or it’s movement. “Oh well, we must trust in God and His plan.” I am here to say I trust in the Lord, but I don’t always trust humanity. Especially those who hide behind the words saying it is the Lord’s Will.

It can be a slippery slope in a church or a ministry group not to fall prey to the secular ways of thinking. It is of the utmost importance to check oneself and not have a disposable thinking church or ministry. Here is a list to check regarding motives and attitudes of your ministry group and Church.

Remember that everyone is created in the image and likeness of God. Have you thought about the verse from Genesis 1:27? “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Each person is made in the image and likeness of God. If He felt they were important enough to be here do you think God would like them to be treated as a commodity or disposable? Sometimes business in ministry takes over and the dollar replaces the heart and soul of the ministry. Don’t fall prey to the green eyed monster where you only look at the dollar signs or growth that you become prey to the disposable mentality.

We know that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God, but we tend to gravitate towards the shinier personalities and try to plug them into our ministries and church. I often think of the hare and tortoise story and how there was the expectation that the hare would win. Sometimes we gravitate towards the personality that will cause the most growth and excitement in our ministry instead of those who are consistent, reliable and trustworthy. I was in a business that instructed me to find the outgoing kind of people, and I am here to tell you they fizzled out fast if they didn't get to stay in the limelight. The result would be that they would bring the rest of the group down with them. The limelight was more important to them then the relationships of the team. I would say I have seen that in some ministry groups that I have been a part of and I am here to say no one likes to feel they are unimportant or disposable. Romans 12:16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Before you think of asking someone to step aside, make sure you check the motives behind the thought. There will be times that you may recognize that a person is no longer fit for a particular ministry, before you get rid of them pray extensively on it. Ministry and Church are important and the speed of the leader is the speed of the gang. If you do not pray about this and you treat the person as a disposable, don’t be surprised if word gets out about your reputation as a whole without even a word. As a leader in a prior career I learned that people will know if you are walking the talk. 1 Thessalonian 5:13, “Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” After much prayer and consideration, you still feel God is calling you to make changes in your ministry, follow 1 Thessalonian 5:13, as a guideline. Make sure the person who you feel no longer is called to a position will feel that they are held in high regard with the utmost love and appreciation for what they have done, and the goal of fellowship will remain intact afterwards.

Remember God sees and knows our hearts and He expects us to love Him with our whole heart, soul and mind; as well as loving our neighbor as yourself. Others will know if your intentions are pure or not. So if you want to grow your church or ministry with a firm foundation remember to keep your heart in check with the principles listed above.

I would like to close with Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” God who knows the number of hairs on a person's head would not regard them as disposable and neither should we.

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