Ministry Tips: Dealing With Rejection of Your Ministry.
(Key Verses: John 15:20; Matt 10:14)
By Melusi Ndhlalambi (MelVee Video Productions)
It may sound twee or excessive sentimentalism, but there comes a time when you feel upset and hurting about what people, often those close to you socially or religiously, would say and do about your honest attempts to serve your Lord. Some may know, sooner or later, how wrong and misinformed they are about your ministry and how much they hurt you, but they will never admit to doing anything wrong or come to you to apologise.
In dealing with this, Jesus said, the servant is not greater than the master, if they persecuted the Master, they will also persecute you for doing His will in your life. He also commanded that if we come to minister to a place and we are rejected, we must shake the dust off our feet and move to the next appointment.
There is no longer any dust to shake off from 21st century evangelists. They no longer walk but we fly and drive to mission assignments. Perhaps the best way is to deal with being rejected and dissed is to delete the sms corrosive email, shred the vociferous and egotistic letter and boisterous message. Just delete or shred, or tear the email. I tell you it’s relieving. Today, I finally did it. After sometime, I finally tore the letter I received which was very regressive and disheartening. The picture you see is the remains of the letter. It is very therapeutic. Therapists say this will help you let go of the hurt, pain, and regrets and you will feel calmer.
Take the nasty communication and tear it up or shred it and bin it. Therapists use this technique for situations such as getting over a broken relationship, a split in business, or dealing with bad news.
For me this is to signify that God will one day delete some names in the book of life who have been arrogant and refused to humble themselves and repent of their sins and seek God’s pardon. It signifies that what was written therein the sms, email and letter was base and vile as dust and that God would shake them off. The dust of the apostles’ feet, which they left behind them, would witness against the rejecters of the ministration and be brought in as evidence, that God would have worked with them but they rejected the agents of God. As such God must needs be reject them also. They who despise God and His gospel shall be lightly esteemed.”
As I did this, I was praying for the writers. You see, in Matthew 10:15, Jesus actually said it would be more tolerable in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for the city that rejects the gospel. Phew, this is serious stuff – one that would drive you to intercession for the rejectors of your ministration.
There will be time in ministry when you must shake the dust off our feet and even shake out our garments (Acts 13:51; Acts 18:6). However, as you do so, we must have a clear conscience towards God and mankind. We must still move on and reach others whom God would have us reach. There must be no room for self-righteousness selfish “you-shall-see” “you cannot do that to me” arrogance or anger. Like Jesus, we must weep and intercede for those who reject and refuse to accept our ministry (Luke 19:41-44).
The Bible in Acts 18:5-7 says, “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.
It’s time to find your own Titius Justus, true worshipers of God who will help your ministry. Find other leaders like Crispus (from Acts 18:8) who believed in the Lord that you serve with his entire household. I tell you, it’s not worthy if to be angry, to talk about what they did to you, to defend yourself and ministry against the accusers – its a waste of time, energy and resources to write long responses and call for meetings with people who are bent on detracting you and accuse you of evil doing. It’s a vicious circle.
God has prepared many people you have no idea about. These are prepared to believe in you and support what you are doing. I pray that one night God speak to you in a vision, just like He spoke to frustrated Paul, and said, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” Friend, the just shall live by faith, not by stress. Ministry must be a blessing not stressing.
God bless you as you deal with your adversities.
