There are many activities all over the world that are being carried out in the name of God. Whatever they might be, they must be done according to God’s pattern and God’s way. Far too many these days are pursuing ministry without adhering to the detailed instructions of God.
Doing God’s work in God’s way involves actively listening to God on how to implement the instructions received from Him. The work must follow God’s principles and guidance. The motive must be anchored in love, compassion, and sacrifice. The pursuit of personal glory or self-interest is an indication that there is a deviation from God’s objective will. It is about aligning the work of ministry to conform with God’s will and character.
When God commanded Noah to build an ark, He gave him the pattern and insisted that he built it according to specific rules: “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks” (Genesis 6:14-16).
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“Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). Noah obeyed God’s command and built the ark according to God’s pattern, gathered food, and brought animals into the ark. Noah’s absolute obedience to God’s commands saved him and his family, as well as the animals, from a flood that ravaged the world and destroyed humanity. If Noah had not followed God’s instructions religiously, he wouldn’t have accomplished God’s purpose. Partial obedience to God’s law has been responsible for the failures of many Christians over history.
Some churches and ministries are run like secular organizations using templates developed by unbelievers. Many know God’s Word and His explicit instructions, but they still resort to their own ways. In my country Nigeria, comedians are invited to churches for entertainment to attract worshipers and get-rich-quick scams are the order of the day in the majority of Evangelical churches. Some pastors in their quest to grow their churches are even consulting witch doctors. The saying “Heaven helps those that help themselves” has become very popular among pastors who believe that they have to invent strategies in their ministerial endeavors.
It is not always easy to wait on God or to follow God’s way. Mary Slessor, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary who stopped the killing of twins in Nigeria, prayed, “Lord, the task is impossible for me but not for thee. Lead the way and I will follow.” If a minister of God encounters challenges in ministry, instead of seeking alternatives outside God, he or she should go back to God in prayer and ask for direction as Mary Slessor did.
Allowing God to lead the way is a right step in the right direction as far as the work of God is concerned. Depending on God guarantees God’s provision. According to Charles Spurgeon, “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
