Ch5: Episode 5: Embracing God's Irrevocable Gifts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

0:00 Welcome back to Chapter 5, Gift of No Returns, Embracing God's Unchanging Call. Chapter 5, Gifts of No Return, Embracing God's Unchanging Call, where we explore the timeless, unchanging nature of God's call in our lives, on our lives. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and in our previous episodes, we delved into the remarkable stories of Paul, Gideon, and Deborah, examining how God's call can transform lives and defy societal norms.

0:41 Today, we're going to integrate the teachings of Romans 11, 29. And 1 Corinthians 12 to discuss the irrevocability and diversity of God's gifts. So our theme for this episode is the irrevocability and diversity of God's gifts. We'll explore how each person's calling is a steadfast part of God's plan and the importance of unity and diversity within the church. So let's dive into these foundational scriptures together.

1:22 So let's begin with Romans chapter 11, verse 29. This verse is a powerful reminder of the permanence of God's gifts and his callings. For the gifts and the calling of God is irrevocable. This verse reassures us that once God has given a gift or calling, it is permanent. God does not change his mind or take back what he has given. This can be incredibly comforting, especially when we face doubts and challenges. It means that no matter our circumstances, God's purposes for our lives remains unchanging.

2:09 So I want to go into the good, bad, ugly part about the gift and callings of God. You know, we look at the podium and we look at people who are taking part in what God has called them to do, which is awesome, awesome, awesome. But I want to take a little peek behind the curtain of what happens or what goes on when we are taking part of what God has called us to do. I want to look at the good, the bad, the ugly. So when you say yes to God, you have a full understanding of what you're taking part of. It is a great calling. It is fun. It is exciting. God is a great boss. He does take good care of his children. But a lot of times we'll take on a gift or a calling and no one really tells us the story, the backstory.

2:57 So this is what I want to share with you. And it's different for everyone, but this is a general story, just a general outline of what you can expect. The good part that you can expect about serving Jesus and being involved in ministry to know that it is very fulfilling and it's a transformative experience. It's like a path. It comes with its own set of challenges and complexities. But let's take a look at the good, bad, and the ugly. For one, the good, spiritual growth and fulfillment. A lot of times you are at a spiritual growth, but as you're walking with God, it's a continual growth. So don't ever think that you made it because God's called you. There's always more.

3:41 So serving in ministry often leads to profound personal and spiritual growth. As you help others, you also grow in your faith, knowledge, and relationship with God. Many find great joy and fulfillment in And knowing that they are contributing to God's work and make a positive impact on the lives of others. And even on yourself, you find that you're doing things that you would not know that you can do because you have... You have heaven backing you up. Amen. The impact on others. Ministry allows you to touch lives in profound ways, whether you're through teaching, counseling, or serving in practical ways. You can be an instrument of God's grace, helping others find hope, healing, and purpose.

4:27 Seeing others grow in their faith and relationship with God is incredibly rewarding. So you got spiritual fulfillment, impact on others, community relationship. Ministry often involves working closely with others, fostering deep relationships and a sense of community. Being part of a ministry team can provide vital support, network, friendships, and sense of belonging within the body of Christ. So you do get a new community. You also have that mentorship with your pastors and the ministers that you work with. And also accountability. And so it keeps you in check and in line. And also wisdom.

5:10 You get to ask questions so you're not out there all by yourself. So that community relationship. And then obedience and purpose. There's a deep sense of purpose that comes from knowing that you are following God's call, that you are on the right track. Not saying everything's going to be perfect and with rainbows and tulips, but you know that you're on the right path and that you have support from the heavenly assistance, your father, and you have Jesus, and you have the Holy Spirit and angelic support if needed. Serving in the ministry is often seen as an act of obedience to God's will, which brings a unique purpose.

5:54 Peace and satisfaction. So that's the good part about following the calling of God for you, right? And many people step out and they go, yes, I love this part. But what's the bad part about accepting the calling? It's not all bad. You got to learn that there's a balance. The bad part that you can actually have burnout and fatigue. Ministry can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. The demands of serving others often couple with the expectation of being constantly available and can lead to burnout. Without proper self-care and boundaries, ministry leaders can become overwhelmed by the responsibilities and pressure.

6:35 And that's when you have the community relationship and accountability. And so when you feel like you're getting burnt out of fatigue, that means you're doing a lot of work in your own strength. And so just kind of check yourself, make sure you take that time off and learn how to have some balance. And so, and don't get so burned out that you don't want to ever come back. So just watch the burnout and fatigue. criticism and opposition. This is really one that's really tough. Those in ministry often face criticism, both from within the church and from external sources, whether it's difference in theology, misunderstanding, or personal conflicts. Ministry can sometimes be a battleground for criticism and opposition.

7:17 This can be discouraging and hurtful, especially when it comes from those you are trying to serve or even your friends. If you study the story of Jonathan Jonathan and David, they were close friends. It comes from really close. That's when it really hurts. And so that's another one, set up boundaries and learn how to set up boundaries to survive in ministry. I might go in more detail on this in a later broadcast, but the bad part, burnout and fatigue. Sacrifices and strain on personal life. Ministry often requires significant sacrifices, including time, energy, and sometimes financial resources.

7:59 It can also place strain on personal relationship, such as family, friendship, mainly in ministry demands leads to neglecting these areas. Balancing ministry or personal life is a common challenge for many leaders. And that's once again, where you go to the community relationship. When someone tells you you're taking, doing too much, pull back. God, God would check you first. If you're not getting, you don't follow his orders, then he's going to have someone on the, the, the external check you, you know, and then you don't follow that. You're going to start to feel that burnout and fatigue. So just follow, follow the protocol and that'll help you avoid putting that personal life on that strain.

8:43 God knows he called you and it will be a strain because it's work. It is work, but there is a balance in it too. Okay. So that's the bad. Spiritual battles. Oh yeah. Serving in ministry often involves spiritual warfare. Those who step into leadership position, they may find themselves facing increased spiritual attacks and temptations or discouragement. This can be draining and requires a solid, consistent prayer life to overcome. All of ministry is prayer. I would say 99.9%, 100%, 99.9% prayer. You got to sleep. So 1% sleep, the rest is prayer.

9:24 Always prayer, always prayer, always prayer. Prayer is your guard against a lot of these battles that come, especially this battle of burnout and fatigue, this fight against criticism and opposition. This battle against fighting against this, the strain against family or foe. A lot of times you will miss some of those holidays because sometimes the church is open during those holidays. I think church I attend now, we do get a lot of those holidays off, but, but most of the time you are serving on those, those holidays, you know, but I was a police officer for so many years that working on holidays don't really, they, my family knows how to work around it.

10:06 We eat later, you know, I try to get those days off or those times off or they'll save me a dinner. So we're used to working around that. So they know I've been in ministry and policing. So my life has always been that way. So just learning how to take the good and the bad, and that's what the ugly is. The ugly can really be nasty looking. Ugly is the moral failure and scandal that comes along when you get down into this bad, where you burn out, critique, and then sacrifice, and you think you're you're losing out. This is when this moral failure starts to fall in. So moral failure and scandal. Unfortunately, the history of church includes instances where leaders and ministers fall into moral failure.

10:51 Leading to scandal that can damage not only their lives, but the faith of others. This ugly side of ministry can cause significant harm to the reputation of the church. That can lead to disillusionment among believers. And I do have something coming out about church harm. That's going to be coming out in my next series coming up to help you to avoid some of this being part of that harm part. But sometimes ministry, people are human. The leadership is human. So when you're not filling yourself up on the word and prayer and don't have a balance, some of this moral failure will occur.

11:39 So be on alert for that in your life. If you are standing on a pulpit and in the lives of your if you are a leader, the lives of those around you. And like I said, things doesn't happen in a bubble. And so you can kind of see the slacking and the things that start to fall off. You know you will notice that so pay attention to that you can have them sit down for a season just so that you can avoid this public scandal that can happen when leaders fall because the enemy loves when the leader falls so just sitting down getting the word of god getting back into a rhythm can always be helpful hypocrisy and abuse some members in the church some in ministry may They struggle with hypocrisy, preaching one thing while living another.

12:30 In extreme cases, this can lead to abusive behavior, whether spiritual, emotional, even physical. Some situations can have devastating effects on individuals and congregation, leading to mistrust in faith, in church, in leadership. Yeah, I do have, I wrote a little mini book on that one, just about spiritual, emotional abuse that occur from leaders. And when that starts to occur, that's a signal for you as either a congregant to kind of step back and you as a leader to sit down. And so but they won't sit down. And so you need to step back and protect your emotions when you start to see.

13:14 A little control and manipulation, which is my next point coming across the pulpit. So remember you as a leader, you're looking at the ugly and this side of the ugly. And so when you're looking in a mirror and you're seeing this, then you need to take it upon yourself because the Holy Ghost is going to check you first. And if you're not being checked by the Holy Ghost, then you open up the gate for the enemy and the enemy will definitely will embarrass you, will embarrass you. Number three, manipulation. There's an instance where ministry leaders may misuse their authority to manipulate or control others for personal gain or maintain power. This can create a toxic environment where people are hurt and exploited rather than nurtured and encouraged in their faith.

13:59 So as a leader, if you start to feel this coming on, or someone says you You're starting to be manipulative. You need to sit down, step away, fill yourself up on the word of God and prayer. Talk to the Lord, find out what's going on. There's an empty, you've been pouring out so much, you're not filled up. So you're taking on some of the characteristics of the enemy, still kill and destroy. And that's not, that's ugly. When it falls in ugly, the enemy is at work. And then the final one is division and conflict. Ministry can sometimes be a source of division and conflict within the church. Division is the work of the enemy.

14:40 Difference in vision, theology, and leadership style can lead to splits and infighting. A breakdown of community, such divisions can be deeply painful and can undermine the mission of the church. So this calling is irrevocable, no return. turn, God will sit you down. God will embarrass you. So take time out. Under this ugly, if that's you, just take a moment. If you've done something that you know is wrong, moral failure and scandal, sit down. God has called you, but we human, sit down and just check yourself. A lot of times people still going to ride that horse because remember the callings don't change. You're still anointed.

15:27 You're going to still be still riding that wave slave until one day you're not. And then by then you, you out there and you're embarrassed. Hypocrisy and abuse. If you're not preaching what you're teaching, doing what you say, then you're, you're going to only embarrass yourself. Manipulation and control. Those people, that, that's just the spirit, right? Spirit of control. That's not of God. And then division and conflict. Serving Jesus in ministry is a calling filled with incredible opportunities for growth and fulfillment. However, it comes with challenges that can lead to burnout, criticism, and personal sacrifices.

16:12 The ugly side of ministry includes the potential for moral failure, hypocrisy, conflicts that can harm both individuals and the church as a whole. Recognizing these realities can help in preparing for the journey of ministry. Ensuring that one remains grounded in faith, seeking accountability, and maintaining focus on serving God and others with integrity and love. And so these are just some powerful points that can be noted. And I'm going to grab this, what's coming up next that's going to help you. It's called Beyond Portrayal, Healing the Wounds of Church Trauma.

16:53 And that's what's coming up in the next episode. and I think it's about a one, two, three, four, a five episode and it's powerful. It's gonna just kind of explore that and I wanna get into it now. I have a great introduction that's gonna help cover what we're gonna cover in those episodes just to bring some healing. If you were exposed to some of that type of negative, that ugly part of the church, right? So let's keep going. Now let's turn to 1 Corinthians 12, which elaborates on diversity of spiritual gifts and the unity that brings within the body of Christ.

17:36 That was kind of heavy, but I wanted to talk about the good, the bad, the ugly. It's always good. There's always some bad. There's always some ugly. And if you know me, I'm going to always bring some balance to everything. So you don't go into a calling or any type of anything. When you hear from me, I've been in ministry for about over 20 something years. I'm not in ministry now. I took a little break. I had a little bit of that burnout part. So I knew how to sit down, sit myself down. So I don't get into all the other drama part of the ugly because I love God. And so the guy set me down for a season and I'll get into more of that detail as I go into the trauma side of the next episode and you'll get to know that side of me.

18:23 But then God gifts are not a gift of no return. And so he brings me back on another angle. And that's how God will renew you. He's a God of restoration and he's a faithful God. And so let's go to 1 Corinthians 12, chapter 4 through 6. There are different Different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. That's the Holy Spirit. There is a different kind of service, but the same Lord. There's a different kind of work, but all of them and everyone is the same God at work. And so we don't have to be jealous about someone else's gift.

19:06 God gives you what you can handle. He gives someone else what they can handle. So there's no jealousy in the body of Christ. Amen. And so there's diversity in gifts. Everybody has a part to play, right? I love that. These verses highlight that every believer has been given unique gifts by the Holy Spirit. These gifts are meant to function harmoniously in harmony. With one another within the church, contributing to the collective mission of the body of Christ. Each gift, no matter how small or significant it may seem, is vital and valuable in God's plan.

19:47 And so Paul emphasized the importance of each member in the body of Christ in chapter 12, verse 12 to 14, just as a body through one has many parts, but all has many, but it all, but it had as many parts, but all as many parts form one body. So with Christ, for we were all baptized by one spirit. So as to form one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, enslaved person or free, and we were all given the one spirit to drink. Even so, the body is not made up of one part, but of many. So we all, sometimes people get envious of wanting to be the preacher.

20:32 Well, there's more than just the mouth that needs to be involved in the church. God needs his hands, his ears. You know, he needs his feet. He needs different parts of his body to do different parts of the church so that we all can work in harmony together. The metaphor of the body with many parts underscore the interconnectedness of believers, just as the body parts have different functions, but are all necessary. So are the diverse gifts within the church, essential and complementary. This teaches us that the importance of valuing each other's gifts and working towards in unity.

21:15 So Kuz, I like your gift. I like your gift. But not to be envious of it or want to copy and mimic another gift. So Paul also highlights the need for every part of the body to be valued and function together. We should be united as one, not biting each other and criticizing each other. We should be encouraging each other. It's like when something's in season, now prophets are in season, so everybody wants to be a prophet. So if you're called to be a prophet, that's awesome. But if you're called to be a teacher and you want to be a prophet, then you're kind of out of your lane, but God can give you two gifts. You can be a prophetic teacher.

22:00 You know, I am a prophetic intercessor teacher too. So when you know your gifts, you just stay in your lane and you do well in your lane, right? Go to verse 12, chapter 12, 18 to 20. But in fact, God has placed the hearts And the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be, if they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts. love that.

22:49 Christ. This means that we should not compare ourselves to others or feel inferior because our gifts are different. I love that. Finally, Paul concludes the chapter by encouraging believers to desire the greater gift. But he leaves. Greater gift, but he leads into the importance of love in the next chapter. Now eagerly desire the greater gift, and yet I will show you the most excellent way. While we are encouraged to seek and develop our spiritual gifts, Paul points us to the most excellent way of love, which he elaborates in 1 Corinthians 13.

23:35 This reminds us that all gifts should be exercised in love and for the edification of the church, not for personal glory. Together, these scriptures teach us that each person's calling and spiritual gifts are the integral part of God's plan. Romans 11 29 assures us of the permanence of God's call, while 1 Corinthians 12 emphasizes diversity and unity of gifts within the church. Understanding these truths helps us to embrace our unique role with confidence to work collaboratively within our Christian community.

24:20 How powerful is that, right? So when we know our part, we stay in our lane. Someone's in your lane, you just say, beep, beep, you're in my lane, you're in my lane, get out of my lane. So when When you know your lane, you'd stay in your lane. What is the power? How do we take this and we use it for God's glory? How do we use it for God's glory? How do we, what happens when we as Christians stay in our lane and we say yes to what God has called us to do? This is powerful. When we say yes, we say yes to what God's called us to. We say, yes, Lord, I'm going to accept the calling that you put on my life.

25:02 You're not letting me rest. I'm not getting any rest. So I'm going to accept this calling. You're going to have a deeper intimacy with God with a yes. When you say yes, you're going to have clear intimacy with God. You're going to have clarity and mission when you say yes to God. You're going to have spiritual growth and maturity by saying yes to God. Yes, you're going to have trials and testing. When you say yes to God. You're going to have a little bit of sacrifice when you say yes to God. Your time is now, remember you were bought with a price, so glorify God with your body. So you are not going to have, your time is not your own anymore, which is not really, but when you go into ministry, when you follow the calling of God, that changes.

25:48 And then the blessing and joy and fulfillment, God's provision becomes part of his promises When you say yes to God. Your impact and influence in ministry when you say yes to God. Different opportunities open up. Continual growth. Lifelong journey of faith happens when you say yes to God. So it's not a yes one time. It's a yes, a yes, continual yes as you continue this lifelong journey with God. And then when you say yes to God, it has an eternal reward.

26:28 Your perspective is no longer just temporary. Yes, you're doing something that you can see, but this is a reward, an eternal reward. So saying yes to God is a life-changing decision that brings you closer to God, provides a sense of purpose, and leads you to spiritual growth. However, it does involve trials, sacrifices, and challenges that test your faith and commitment. Despite these difficulties, the journey of following God is filled with joy, fulfillment, and the assurance of his presence and provision. Ultimately, saying yes to God aligns your life with his eternal purposes, brings blessings both now and in the life to come.

27:15 I love that. So how do we take all that we just heard and put that into a practical application into our daily life? Number one, we're going to recognize and value your spiritual gifts. Spend time with God and reflect, asking him to reveal and confirm the gifts he has placed inside of you. It's important that you know those gifts. Reflect on past experience and feedback from others To identify your strengths and your areas of giftedness. Recognizing value of spiritual gifts Just kind of reflect on back when you were flowing with what God had, And ask them to stir up your gift. And then work collaboratively within your community.

28:03 Engage with your church or Christian community. Find ways to use your gift to serve others. Encourage and support others in using their gifts, fostering an environment of mutual respect. Encourage and support others in using their gift, and fostering an environment of mutual respect and cooperation. Exercise your gifts in love, right? So always seek to use your gifts for edification of others and glory of God and not for personal recognition, right? So it's not to be showing off, but to use it for the glory of God.

28:44 Remember the importance of love as a foundation for all action and interaction within the body of Christ. So exercise your gifts in love. And finally, trust in the permanence of God's call. God did not change his mind. And so when I wrote this devotional last year sometime, and when he gave that to me, I'm like, ooh, you didn't change your mind? And that really brought joy to me. And I continue to write devotionals, not feeling lost anymore because I knew I was called by God, but I figured, you know, I'm in a different city now. I'm not doing what I was doing before, but he said, I haven't, he just said, I haven't changed my mind.

29:27 And that's pretty much where this devotional came from. I haven't changed my mind. And so when facing doubt or challenges, Remind yourself of Romans 11, 29 and the irrevocability of God's gifts and calling. Having confidence that God's purpose for your life is steadfast and unchanging regardless of the circumstances. So I don't know how you feel right now or what gifts that I stirred up during this episode. During this episode, but know for sure that just like I mentioned before, that you can't, there's no receipt for this gift. You can't take it back.

30:07 God is not, God didn't give you a receipt. God's going to stir this gift up and he wants you to use it, use it for his glory, use it for his people, you know, exercise his gifts in love and trust in his permanency, permanence and calling, You know, so let's do the decrees. Decrees for recognizing gifts. I decree that I will recognize and value the spiritual gifts that God has placed within me. I will seek to understand and develop these gifts for his glory. How do you develop these gifts? If you have the gift to pray in your holy language, you steer it up and you pray in your holy language.

30:50 If you read your Bible, just put spiritual things in and the spiritual things will come out. Decree for unity and diversity. I decree that we work collaboratively within my Christian community, appreciating diversity of gifts and fostering unity within the body of Christ. So if you are not in a church that flows in the gifts of the Spirit, maybe find one so you can at least have like, you can learn from afar how these gifts operate and be exposed to them. Once again, put spiritual things in and spiritual things will come out. Now, decrees for exercising gifts in love. I decree that I will exercise my spiritual gifts in love, seeking for edifying others.

31:34 Edifying is to lift up others and glorifying God in all that I do. So you represent God in all that you do. We're not forcing it on anyone. You're just loving them, right? And decree for confidence in God's call. I decree that I will have confidence in the irrevocability of God's gifts and calling. I trust that his purpose for my life is steadfast and unchanging. And like I said, when he spoke to me that I haven't changed my mind about you, Connie, I thought that really stirred me up. It gave me kind of a firm foundation to just don't know where I'm going. But it gave me a firm foundation that I'm on the right track and that it wasn't a waste of time because I went to Bible school.

32:23 I did all this stuff and I'm like, okay. And I spent many years in ministry and did a lot of stuff, but I'm thinking like, okay, what was that about? I think I was having that moment. You know, you have that moment. And then I just heard him say, kind of haven't forgotten about you. The gifts and calling that I have in you, they are not irrevocable they will be used and I said oh okay and it just seemed like the ground was no longer shaky under my feet they were just solid and I just continued to do. Listen to God for more devotions. That was only on my fifth one. And so God knows how to get you back in line with him.

33:05 So as we conclude this episode, take time to reflect on the spiritual gifts God has given you and how you can use them to serve others within your community. Remember, God's gifts and callings are irrevocable. And he has a unique and vital role for you in his plan. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Gifts of No Return, Embracing God's Unchanging Call. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit from this message. Thank you for listening and God bless. Until next time, stay encouraged and keep embracing the gifts that God has placed within you.

33:49 Remember, God's gifts and callings are irrevocable, and he has a unique and unchanging plan for your life. This is Connie with Diary of a Black Woman podcast. Until next time.