Bob calls envy "the most common problem that nobody has" (because we don’t usually perceive it as our own personal problem). This book is guaranteed to search the heart of every reader. It should be read by all the members of a ministry team, whether that team be an eldership, a home group, a worship group, youth leaders, etc. Allow the Lord to use this book to surface issues among leaders that have remained hidden and unresolved. As we receive the tender and compelling warnings of this book, we become candidates for the release of the power and glory of God in this generation.
Taken from: ENVY: THE ENEMY WITHIN by Bob Sorge
Copyright 2003 Gospel Light/Regal Books, Ventura, CA 93003 Used by
Permission
Pages: 150
Retail: $12.00 U.S.
ISBN: 0-8307312-2-9
What other leaders
are saying about ENVY:
Only a broken but bold vessel could write a book like Envy: The Enemy
Within. In this book Bob Sorge represents God’s heart to lead His
people out of captivity and into freedom. This is probably one of the
greatest displays of revelation I have read in the last 10 years. If the
Body of Christ removes envy, strife and jealousy, we will quit warring
with each other, become the worshipers God created us to be and overthrow
the enemy’s plan against God’s Kingdom advancement. This book takes you to
the Cross and into resurrection power. Envy: The Enemy Within is
one of the few books that I can honestly say will revolutionize your life.
Once this evil force is removed from us, the glory of God will move in our
midst!
-
Dr. Chuck D. Pierce
Author,
The Future War of the Church
Vice President, Global Harvest Ministries
President, Glory of Zion International, Inc.
This book
could not have come at a better time. Seemingly at every level of society
we are seeing this insidious sin. Bob Sorge has a word from the Lord to
rescue the Church from the poison of envy.
-
John A. Kilpatrick
Senior
Pastor, Brownsville Assembly of God Church
Pensacola, Florida
Envy: The Enemy Within is a book filled with scriptural exposition
on the topic and keen insight into human nature and relationship. Although
we might be reluctant to acknowledge it, what the author writes about is a
shoe that fits all of us in one way or another. And since he spends a good
amount of time addressing the problem within the church, those of us in
ministry might find it an especially good fit.
-
Ron Mehl
Author,
God Works the Night Shift and The Tender Commandments
Pastor, Beaverton Foursquare Church
Beaverton, Oregon
In Acts 6 there is an account of how the leaders of the early Church dealt
with envy. The Greek-speaking Jews thought that the widows of the
Hebrew-speaking Jews were receiving a more favorable distribution of food.
Their perception could have wreaked havoc within the young movement.
However, the spiritual wisdom of the apostles created a plan that nipped
envy at the root, and the growth of the Church continued. Bob Sorge has
brought the same spiritual wisdom to today’s challenge of envy. Reading
this manuscript will help us see where envy has crept into our lives and
into the Church and how it is hindering the work of the Church in the
earth today. Bob also shares that this doesn’t have to be the case. There
is a way to root out envy and move forward in love.
-
Pastor Dutch Sheets
Author,
Intercessory Prayer and Tell Your Heart to Beat Again
Pastor, Harvest Springs Fellowship
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Here you can read a chapter from Bob Sorge's book, ENVY: THE ENEMY WITHIN. Here is the fourth chapter:
Chapter 4
The Great Talent Showdown
The single most compelling passage in the Bible related to the subject of this book is found in one of Jesus' most colorful parables and is one He saved to share until the very end of His earthly ministry.
In the parable (see Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus told the story of a man who gave his goods to his servants, expecting them to improve on his investment in them by means of trading, and then he went on a journey. One servant received 5 talents of money, another received 2, and another received 1 (each according to his own ability). The first two servants doubled their master's resources over time, but the third servant buried his 1 talent in the ground.
When the master returned and saw how the first two had multiplied their talents, he said to them, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things" (Matthew 25:21,23). The third servant, however, who buried his 1 talent in fear, was judged severely by the master and cast into outer darkness.
The master in the parable represents God; the servants represent God's servants whom He has gifted at differing levels of ability; and the talents of money in the parable represent the giftings, abilities and resources that God gives to His servants, expecting them to multiply and maximize those resources for the furtherance of His kingdom.
This parable relates to the different levels of giftedness with which God gifts all believers. To some He has given 1 talent; others have received 2; and still others have been given 5. In actuality, our degree of giftedness does not fall into one of three slots but rather somewhere along a vast continuum that Jesus represented by the numbers 1 and 5.
God gifts us in a wide variety of spheres, but the ministry arena where giftedness is perhaps most clearly measurable is that of music and worship. When it comes to the ministry of music, one's level of gifting is so easily measurable that you can almost put a numerical value on it. "Oh yes, she's a 3.7 when it comes to singing." "Put him on the piano, and you're listening to about a 4.5 on the gifting scale." Musical giftings are so clearly measurable that a capable minister of music can take everyone in the music department and list them by name according to degree of giftedness-from least gifted to most gifted.
Therefore, since musical giftings are so clearly measurable, I am choosing to illustrate the principles of this parable by pointing to the ministry of worship in the local church. I will leave it to the reader to make the application of these principles to other areas of ministry, such as teaching, preaching, counseling, administrating and serving.
You will notice, first of all, that Jesus said the man gave talents to each "according to his own ability" (Matthew 25:15). The Lord knows the strength of our frame and He gifts us in accordance with how much we can handle. It might be tempting to look at someone with more gifts than you and envy what they have; but the truth is that if you had their level of gifting, you would probably suffer burnout! Your frame wasn't built to handle the level of responsibility those additional giftings carry. The responsibility of stewarding that greater talent would break you. God knows you best, and He gives to you according to your strength. He loves you exactly the way you are because He has made you precisely the way He wants you to be. He loves it when you are simply you. And He won't give you more than you can effectively steward. So let's be thankful for the gifts we have and be grateful that God hasn't given us more than we can bear!
Songwriter and worship leader David Baroni has said that envy insults God-as though by giving all that He did to my brother, He didn't have enough left over to give me my rightful portion. But with God, there's plenty to go around! So if God has limited His gifts to any of us, it is so that He might not burden us with more than we can bear.
Principles Related to Talents.
God alone gives talents. You can't work with a talent you haven't been given. When it comes to talents, you get what you get. If He doesn't give it, you don't have it. I know some people who would love to play a musical instrument, but they could practice for the next 30 years and never become a musician! No amount of practice can give you a gift that you haven't received from God.
Sometimes someone can appear to find a gift that they didn't once have.
I see four things that can make this appear to happen:
1. Maturity : As we grow into adulthood, sometimes there are gifts that were latent within us but that came to light simply because we grew up and learned how to access them.
2. Awakening : Some gifts can remain latent within us until a skillful teacher comes along who knows how to unlock what has been within all along.
3. Cultivation : When we are faithful to cultivate and multiply our talents, sometimes it's amazing what levels of skill we can discover. I've known people whom I thought would never rise above a 1.5 gifting in a given area, but because of their determination they managed to grow their gifting beyond a point I ever thought possible, and I would view them more like a 3.5 because of it.
4. Download : In some instances, God will visit someone, even in their adulthood, and divinely download to them a gift they never had previously.
So these two principles remain: You can only work with what God gives you, and talents can be grown and multiplied.
When it comes to talents, God is looking for two primary qualities: goodness and faithfulness. At the end of the day, all we want to hear is "Well done, good and faithful servant." Goodness has to do with moral integrity and uprightness; faithfulness has to do with diligence, dependability, application and hard work. The wise steward will devote himself, above all, to goodness and faithfulness.
I believe one of the best ways to cultivate your musical talent is to place yourself beside someone more musical or anointed than yourself and learn at his or her side.
When my brother, Sheldon, left for college, my mom announced to me that I would now be playing piano in church. I said, "But, Mom, I don't know how to play piano." My arguments fell on deaf ears; I was playing piano in church from now on, no discussion. Back in those days, there were only two instruments in many churches: an organ and a piano. Mom played organ, and now I was to play piano.
The first Sunday was a disaster (I was 14 years old at the time). I was so embarrassed that I spent the entire next week trying to bone up my skills for next Sunday's fiasco. Mom would push the organ pedal to the floor, effectively drowning over my ineptitude, and she plowed every song through to the finish. I played catch-up the whole way. As the weeks turned to months, I found myself following closer and closer behind. In time, the son was able to keep up with the mother-and in some respects even bypass her. I literally learned to play piano in church! And so I learned this valuable principle regarding talents: Stand at the side of someone who is more skilled than you, and run until you catch up.
Author and teacher Mike Bickle has offered the intriguing perspective that with the word "talents" Jesus was referring to public giftings. In other words, the thing that distinguishes a 4-talent person from a 3-talent person is that the 4-talent person's gifting will naturally find a more visible expression publicly among people. The greater the gifting, the more naturally that person's gift will move him or her toward a more prominent public platform. Solomon enunciated this principle when he wrote, "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men" (Proverbs 22:29). An example can be seen in David's tabernacle in the person of Chenaniah, who rose to the prominent place of being the chief instructor of the singers "because he was skillful" (1 Chronicles 15:22). Those who are faithful to cultivate their talents and become skillful in their arena will naturally rise to and be entrusted with corresponding spheres of leadership. It's right that the more skillful and more anointed be given leadership roles in our worship ministries.
Distribution of Talents. It appears that God is totally random in the way He gives gifts to men. He doesn't give more to certain ones because they are beautiful or tall or have dark hair or are smart or have winsome personalities. The distribution of talents seemingly has no noticeable pattern to it. Why does God give 1 talent to this one and 2 talents to that one? No apparent reason. He just does. Don't ask why; you'll never get an answer. He rises up in the authority of His sovereignty and just decides arbitrarily what He will give each one. Your level of talentedness has nothing to do with His love for you. Whether He gives you 1, 2 or 5 talents, He loves you just as much as anyone else on the planet.
God gives 1 talent to this one, 2 talents to that one, 5 talents to another-and then puts them all on the same worship team and says, "Work it out." Talk about a recipe for catastrophe! Worship ministries are notorious among pastors for being one of the greatest problem areas in local church ministry. Why is that? One reason would doubtless be the fact that Satan resists the tremendous potential of worship ministries. But there's another problem, and its origins are not demonic but fleshly. I'm referring to the envy that rises up in worship teams comprised of members with differing levels of gifting. Consider again what James said about that: "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there" (James 3:16). When envy is allowed to exist unchecked in our worship ministries, they become haunts for "every evil thing." Nothing could be more essential than that we bring these issues into the light and call one another to repentance.
When you put people with different gift levels side by side, you're asking for problems. This terrain that we call worship team ministry is strewn with land mines. But God has a purpose for distributing multiple levels of gifting throughout the body of Christ, and I want us to explore that purpose.
The Problem of Church Growth
Here's how this dynamic of varying degrees of talents, working side by side, actually plays out. A new church has just started up and there are about 30 people coming to this young church. When you first plant a church, you're thankful for every 1-talent person that comes along. The guy knows one song on the banjo? He's on the worship team! This sister plays Autoharp? She's on the worship team! Frank can play guitar in the keys of G and D? Frank is now the chief musician!
Then one Sunday you walk into that church with your 2 talents. You look at that 1-talent worship ministry and think to yourself, I have come for such a time as this. You inform the pastor of your giftedness and your willingness to serve. The pastor looks at your 2 talents and his eyes light up. You are an answer to prayer! He wastes little time in giving you the worship ministry. In no time you have that ministry functioning in a whole new dimension. The worship in the house takes off, the spirit of praise in the congregation multiplies, the presence of God is richer than ever, and people are increasingly attracted to the atmosphere of worship. The church grows quickly from 30 to 75 and then to 130. You are the savior of the worship ministry. Everyone in the church loves you and continues to thank God repeatedly for the day He sent you to their church.
Then one Sunday morning it happens. In the back door comes . . . 5 talents! You're thinking to yourself, Go back to the pit from which thou didst crawl! You are shocked at the host of emotions that rise up within you as you stare at this 5-talent wonder. You know that if that woman with the 5 talents joins the worship ministry, her giftings will naturally make a way for herself, she will eventually be placed in charge of the worship ministry, and she will become the new savior of the worship team. You will be forgotten in the shadow of her exceptional giftings and wonderful spirit.
I'm describing the dynamics of Ecclesiastes 4:4: "Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind." What does the 5-talent person get for all his labors in cultivating his gifting? Envy.
When the 2-talent person looks at the 1-talent person he thinks, Move over. I'm here now. Things are going to be a little different around here. But then when the 2-talent person looks at the 5-talent person, he thinks, Let me claw your eyes out. Don't stay here. Don't make this your home church. Go someplace else. The issue is envy, and it eventually surfaces in virtually every worship ministry on the face of the globe.
These dynamics are part of the growing pains of burgeoning churches. As a church grows, the level of giftedness within the various ministries of that church must grow with the corporate body. For a church of 900 people to keep growing, they will need a level of talentedness in their worship ministry that a church of 100 doesn't need. If the level of excellence in the worship ministry (and other ministries) doesn't grow with the church, the growth of the church will level off and will plateau according to the level of giftedness among its leaders. Sometimes pastors are faced with painful decisions. Do I keep this 3-talent person over our worship ministry and keep everyone happy, or do I give the worship ministry to this 4-talent person so that we can continue to grow? But if I do that, I know some people will be offended. Pastoring these transitions is painfully delicate.
Walking Together
I've said that the 2-talent person looks at the 1-talent person and responds with a little bit of arrogance; and then the 2-talent person looks at the 5-talent person and responds in envy. But the 1-talent person? His or her tendency, according to Jesus, is to bury. As the excellence of the worship ministry grows, the 1-talent person says, "I quit. I'm resigning from the worship ministry. You guys are beyond me now. I'm too smart to stand on the platform next to all that talent. No, I'm out of here." So the 1-talent person buries the 1 talent they have.
And the 5-talent person? His tendency is to say, "Couldn't we lighten this ship a little? If we could just throw overboard some of this unnecessary tackle, we could really set the sail and make some headway!" The 5-talent person wants to get rid of the dead weight and really take off.
Jesus' parable has this to say to the 5-talent person: Slow down and bring the others with you. Your job is to teach, to instruct, to mentor, to equip, to impart to those who have lesser giftings than you. If you will be willing to slow down and bring everyone with you, you will fulfill your role in the worship ministry. You will become one who makes disciples of others.
Most of us tend to fall in the 2-talent category. We're not as gifted as some, but we're more gifted than others. It's a healthy wake-up call to realize this simple truth: There's always somebody more talented than you. We may as well get used to it. So most of us would place ourselves in this middle category. The force of the parable to us is this: Don't allow envy to rob you of your inheritance in Christ. Celebrate the successes of your 5-talent brothers. Join them in the battle; let's all go together. And be grateful that in this middle category you can serve as the mainstay and support of the worship ministry.
And what does the parable say to the 1-talent folks? Dig up your 1 talent! You simply are not permitted the luxury of keeping it buried. Go ahead: dig it up, brush it off, clean it up, and surrender it to the master's use. I believe there is an army that will arise on the earth in the last days that will confound the powers of darkness. They will ask, "Where did this army come from?" The answer will be, "This is the army of 1-talent saints who chose to dig up their talent, clean it off and deploy it for the sake of the kingdom." The last days' battle will be won by a host of 1-talent warriors who will give their all for the sake of the King.
The great challenge to worship ministries today is to walk together-all the 5- and the 2- and the 1-talents-and to covenant together so that the glory of God might be revealed on Earth. Envy would seek to rob us of this thrilling adventure, but we will not submit to it for a moment. We have been made aware of the enemy's schemes. We will crucify the flesh; we will face up to the issues of our hearts and overcome in the power of the Spirit.
Releasing the Entire Body to Function Together
One of the greatest leadership challenges in the church is to provide an atmosphere where the 5-talent musicians are eager to be on the team but where the 1-talent people also are warmly embraced and given a place of meaningful participation in the work of the ministry. How do we release 5-talent, 2-talent and 1-talent people all at the same time? If we are to equip all the saints for the work of ministry (see Ephesians 4:12), then we must answer this question intentionally. Although we are illustrating these dynamics by referring specifically to the ministry of worship in the local church, the talents challenge exists in virtually all areas of church ministry. It will be up to the reader to apply these principles to other venues of ministry.
A personal friend, whom I would classify as a 5-talent musician and who also has the heart of a worshiper, said to me, "I desire to be on a team that strives for excellence." This is a common sentiment among the more talented. Another friend told me he finds it very fulfilling to minister on a team with other 5-talent musicians. And yet he added, "Once upon a time I was given a chance to play and learn when I did not have the confidence that I do now." Even the 5-talent musicians have to start somewhere!
Our varying levels of giftedness set up winds of relational conflict that cannot be avoided but must be met head-on. Ministries that focus on equipping the 1-talent saints often move so slowly that the 5-talent saints don't want to be a part. The pace is simply too boring for them. Ministries that focus on releasing the 5-talent saints, however, tend to leave the 1-talent folks feeling ostracized, overshadowed, preempted and not needed. They simply can't keep up.
One church endeavored to solve this problem by forming three worship teams that functioned at three different levels of giftedness. The team with the best musicians was given more complex music that kept them from getting bored and challenged them to keep working hard. The second team was still quite good musically, but it was larger in size and was broadened to include a choir of singers. This group could flow spontaneously but still needed a lot of rehearsal. The third team was comprised of new musicians and served as the entry point to the worship ministry. Everyone started on this team and then moved up to other teams as their giftings and spirit became known. This team's music was kept simple, and they rarely moved beyond their preparation. The three teams were rotated regularly so that everyone had opportunity for expression. Unity between the three teams was guarded by having times of fellowship and sharing together.
Another church's approach was to establish a primary worship team that had the best musicians on it and which ministered most Sundays. A second worship team served as a backup to the first team, to serve when the primary worship leader was out of town. They did not rotate teams, although members from the second team were often called upon as substitutes when a member of the first team was absent. The second team served as a training ground for those with various levels of giftings. From that second team folks were sent out to function in a variety of other ministries in the church, such as home groups or the children's ministry or the youth group or the café outreach.
The International House of Prayer (IHOP) of Kansas City is discovering a fascinating solution to this challenge of mobilizing all levels of gifting. By establishing a 24/7 format of nonstop worship and prayer, there was the immediate demand for worship team members to serve round the clock. The demand made room for a wide variety of giftings and gifting levels. The 24/7 worship format also has had the delightful effect of raising the level of musicianship in the house of the Lord at an accelerated pace. It has become a safe context for worshipers to multiply their talents.1
The common witness of leaders is that it is possible to formulate a ministry that enlists all levels of giftings. One of the keys is in emphasizing a New Testament model of ministry. Those who are willing and zealous to grow in their talents and inner spirit should be granted a place in the midst. If we make excellence our goal, then many will be ostracized; but when we emphasize calling and heart motivation, there's room for all who are called. It's amazing to watch someone with lesser giftings have a far greater ministry impact than might have been expected because he has a burning passion for Jesus that ignites the hearts of others.
The wise pastor will find ways for the 5-talent musicians to soar. While they must train up the others, they also must have an outlet for their creative abilities. When 5-talent people are given the freedom to stretch their wings, they will create a wind-tunnel effect-the momentum of their forward movement will make a way for others to follow. The bottom line is that we must be committed to walking out together the difficult dynamics that emerge because of our various levels of giftedness. The Scriptures tell us that "love does not envy" (1 Corinthians 13:4), so when we truly walk in love with each other, we will do violence to the carnal passions aroused by envy.
Thorn in the Flesh
The worship ministry is one of the most powerful ministries in the church. When the presence of God descends upon the anointed Levites as they stand and minister to the Lord, the chain reactions that can begin to happen in the Spirit are absolutely powerful and potentially intoxicating to those God uses in this way. If the worship ministry had nothing to keep it in balance, it could easily become ego-centered and ambition driven.
But God has given the worship ministry a balancing stick. I call it their thorn in the flesh. It's the disparity of talents on the team. God has sovereignly and purposefully built this tension into our systems of ministry so that we are forced to face the attitudes of our hearts with honesty. Our kindness is tested; our patience is tested; our faithfulness is tested; our love is tested. The fact that we have to work with each other with our differing talents keeps us humble, dependent and leaning on God. And that's why He gave the multiplicity of talents. It's actually our safety and salvation. Without it, we wouldn't even be able to live with psalmists!
The call of Scripture to prefer (or honor) one another challenges everybody. When the 1-talent saints prefer the 5-talent saints by giving them place to soar, the 5-talent people will show up the 1-talent people for how untalented they really are. This will test the hearts of the 1-talent people intensely. Will they accuse the 5-talent people of being performance oriented and operating in the strength of the flesh?
On the other hand, when the 5-talent people prefer the 1-talent people by stepping back and giving them a platform for expression, it will test the hearts of the 5-talent people as they take a secondary role, all the while knowing they could do it better themselves. Will they accuse the 1-talent people of being envious?
What the Holy Spirit is testing in all of our hearts is this: Are we preferring one another in love?
The Star on the Team
One time when I took my son Michael to one of his basketball games, his team played a team that had a star player on it. When this particular boy was on the court, their team chalked up all kinds of points. When he sat on the bench, my son's team would stage a comeback. But the comeback wouldn't last long enough, because then the star would get back on the court and their team would take off again.
Have you ever played on a team where you spent a lot of time sitting on the bench and watching your team's star player start every game, get the most playing time of anybody and then also finish the game? You have a choice in that position; either you can be envious or you can decide to be glad that he or she is on your team.
I'm about to confess one of the ugly instances of envy in my life. I know that my friends who read this will use it against me for the rest of my life (in good humor of course), but I guess that's the point. If I'll confess my stinking envy and allow others to tease me about it, maybe I'll gain more grace to overcome. So here goes. I was flipping through a Christian magazine one day and kept coming across one name. The name was advertised for this event, for that cruise, for having written this book, and so on. Then on the best-seller list, his name was right there at the top. The name was Max Lucado. Now, I've never met Max Lucado, nor have I ever been in the same room with him. I could pass him on the street and never know it was him. So I stopped and thought to myself, Why does this guy bug me? I've never met the man, and he bugs me. And just that quickly the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart, "Envy." Suddenly I saw it-I was envious of Max Lucado! And why? Because it was his book that was the number one best-seller and not mine!
Well, I repented immediately, of course. But the issue wasn't Max Lucado; the issue was in my heart. Then I discovered the following month, when reading the magazine, that I had new opportunities for envy because it was somebody else who was the best-selling author that month. I've come to realize there will always be somebody more gifted than me. So I had better get used to it and deal with the issues.
Several times the Lord has had to say to me, in regard to others who are more talented or anointed than me, "Why can't you rejoice that they're on your team?" So by His grace, that is what I have purposed I will do.
It's easy for 5-talent people to fall into the trap of relying upon their natural strengths. Sometimes they can begin to feel self-sufficient, as though they don't need others. And sometimes they can plow right over people in their pursuit of their goals. If you're a 5-talent person with the heart of David, perhaps God will keep you in check by giving you a Saul. While you're playing your harp skillfully to the Lord, Saul will try to drive a javelin through your heart. Saul was actually God's gift to David, to keep him humble in the midst of his anointing.
I've watched some of the most talented musicians function in some of the least anointing, because they can easily get caught up in focusing on musical proficiency at the expense of going deep in God. They've got an impressive flame but not much oil. Many of the people are fooled, but those who have discernment know the difference. God has ways of teaching the 5-talent people that they are absolutely nothing apart from His grace and anointing. Learning that lesson is sometimes painful.
Learning From Jesus
I don't think anyone would argue that Jesus was a 5-talent man. Yea, more than 5 talents! So how did Jesus interact with the various levels of talentedness among His disciples?
First of all, Jesus never stepped aside from His mandate or dumbed down for the sake of those following Him. He never said, "John, it's your turn to teach today. I'm just going to listen." And He never said, "Peter, it's your turn to heal the people today. I'm going to sit over here and watch." In other words, He never made room for others by backing off from His own calling. He put the pedal to the metal and invited His disciples to stand at His side and watch, and thus they were changed in His presence. Early on, the Twelve had to make a choice: either get intimidated by this Man or get fascinated by Him, enjoy Him and learn at His side. Even though Jesus was more gifted than they were, they purposed to turn from envy and to be exhilarated with the delight of walking in His shadow.
I see this general pattern in how Jesus raised up ministries: He taught and modeled; then He sent them out in pairs to do what He was doing, all the while continuing His own ministry. Then He listened to their report, giving them feedback and correction; and then He told them to stay at His side once again to watch and learn. So the cycle was repeated again. Eventually the time came for separation. By the time Jesus separated Himself from them, they were prepared to function on their own.
When it comes to envy, there's another important principle I've gleaned from Jesus' life. I discovered it in this passage:
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:35-45).
James and John wanted a place of special privilege at Jesus' throne. When the other 10 disciples heard of their request, they were "greatly displeased." Why? Because of envy. When Jesus realized that their request had surfaced all this envy, Jesus called the whole group of disciples to Himself and took the matter in hand.
How did Jesus deal with their envy? I would have expected Him to get out a sledgehammer and deal violently with such a dark, slimy, ugly, pernicious sin. But here's the important principle: When correcting envy, Jesus did it with gentleness.
Can you see the gentleness of His response? This teaches me volumes. This tells me that when I see envy in our worship ministry (or any other church ministry), I should deal with it promptly and diligently-but gently. When correcting envy, we must call each other in gentleness to the crucified life. Let us humble ourselves and serve one another. Let us stay soft of heart and keep crying out for mercy. Pride and ambition will bow in the presence of this kind of gentle correction.
To Talents and Beyond
I give thanks to God for the talents He gives us; but this chapter wouldn't be complete if I didn't add this thought: There is another dimension beyond talents. There is a dimension of ministry in God's grace whereby our ministry effectiveness transcends our degree of talents. This is good news indeed! Let me point you to it.
Let's start with 5-talent Joseph. Joseph was the multitalented guy who could do everything. Potiphar gave the full administration of his household to Joseph's oversight because everything Joseph touched was blessed of God. He impressed everybody with his ability to juggle multiple tasks with grace and aptitude. With his 5 talents, Joseph was able to run an entire household (see Genesis 39).
But God had so much more than just a household for Joseph: He had a nation for Joseph to administrate. And yet, God knew that if Joseph was going to be effective in leading a nation, he would have to find a reservoir within himself that was deeper than his natural talents. To help Joseph find that other dimension, God put him in prison. Prison is the place where all the strengths and giftings you've cultivated are now rendered useless. In the lonely confinement of his dank Egyptian dungeon, I can imagine Joseph crying out to God with an unparalleled desperation: "God, why have You allowed this? Why have Your promises not worked in my life? I have only obeyed and loved You; and now here I am, a prisoner in Egypt, and I've done nothing to deserve it. God, where are You? If You don't talk to me, I'm going to die in this prison!"
The desperation pushed Joseph to press into the Spirit of God in a way like he had never done in all his life. He used the abundance of boredom as an opportunity to seek the Spirit of God with unprecedented intensity. He put roots down in God, deeper, deeper, deeper. And then one day he found the river! He found the river of abiding in the Spirit of God. He found a source in God that runs deeper than the seasons of life. He found such a source in God that, when Pharaoh had his dream, Joseph was able to draw upon that river of life and give Pharaoh the interpretation of his dream. It was Joseph's ability to access the depths of the Spirit that liberated him from his prison.
In one day Joseph went from the prison to the palace. And the issue for Joseph was this: Will you feed a household, or will you feed nations? To be a pastor to the nations, Joseph, you're going to have to find a source in God that goes way beyond your giftings. Your giftings are great, but they'll never empower you to do what God has for you. But now, because you found the river, you will become a dispenser of life to the nations of the earth.
And then there's Anna (see Luke 2:36-38). I call her 1-talent Anna. Nothing in the biblical account would suggest that Anna had any outstanding giftings or abilities. She didn't have any marketable skills, but she knew she could do one thing: she could be wife and mother. But after seven years of marriage, God snuffed out the life of her husband. This catastrophe sent Anna reeling. "God, how could You remove the light of my eyes? How could You destroy every vision I ever had for my life? You have taken from me the one thing I could do."
In the grief of that moment, Anna had a choice. She could become bitter against God, or she could press deeper into God than ever before. Choosing the latter, Anna began to seek God with her entire being. "God, I don't know why You've devastated my life. I can't see Your goodness in my life, yet I declare that You are a good God, and I'm going to seek You until I see Your goodness. I declare You are a loving God, even though it sure doesn't feel like You love me right now; but I know You are a loving God, and I'm going to seek You until I see Your love in my life." And Anna began to press into the Spirit of God like never before.
And then one day she heard the voice. "Fasting and prayer? Night and day? Okay, Lord, if You say so." She turned the furnace up seven times hotter and began to give herself to fasting and prayer, ministering to the Lord night and day.
The months turned into years, and then the voice came again. "MESSIAH?? Oh, my Lord, Messiah!!" God had shown her that the Messiah was soon to be born and that by her intercessions Anna was fulfilling a critical role in preparing the way through prayer. With redoubled urgency she travailed in intercession for the Messiah. And then the day came when she held the answer to her prayers in her own arms! I don't think I'm stretching the story when I suggest that Anna prayed in the Messiah.
Anna is the 1-talent woman who could have become a casualty through bitterness; but because she pressed into the face of God, the Lord turned her barrenness into fruitfulness, and now she is a spiritual mother to the entire household of faith. She thought God had buried her 1 talent, when in reality God was inviting her to a dimension that superceded it.
Give thanks to God for your talents, whether they be 5, 2 or 1. And do your utmost to cultivate them faithfully to their fullest expression. But if the Lord should invite you to a higher dimension, allow Him to press you into His face with unprecedented desperation. Perhaps He would lead you to the other dimension, which is "'not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).
Note
1. See
www.fotb.com for more information on the ministry of International
House of Prayer (IHOP).
Chapter 1
The Most Common Problem That Nobody Has
It’s time to stop calling envy everyone else’s problem. Let’s demystify it and own up to the truth.
Chapter 2
What Is Envy?
Whenever we feel pain over another’s success, envy has us in its diabolically deadly claws.
Chapter 3
The Brothers
Envy is usually an issue between brothers—and sisters. We can trace that pattern beginning with Cain and Abel and continue on through biblical history.
Chapter 4
The Great Talent Showdown
When God gives out varying degrees of talent, it’s a masterfully designed setup for an envy eruption.
Chapter 5
Why Revival Tarries
Could it be that envy is the most formidable hindrance to true biblical revival?
Chapter 6
The Cross: Death of Envy
God deals with envy by crucifying the one who is envied—the foremost example being Jesus.
Chapter 7
Perceiving the “Measure of Grace”
As we explore comparison and the seemingly arbitrary distribution of spiritual gifts and different spheres of influence, there are things we can do to overcome envy.
Chapter 8
The Envy Detour: Death or Destiny
When God wants to bless a person or a ministry, He minimizes the envy factor by taking them to their promised land via a circuitous, arduous detour.
Chapter 9
Rooted in Love
At the heart of envy is the issue of love and the need to be rooted in Christ’s love as the source of our personal identity.