I just started reading the biography of George Muller. This man who once was practically a thief, conniving & scheming his way through his adolescent years, embraced Jesus in his early twenties. He is mostly known for his ministry to orphans in the mid 1800’s as well as being a man that relied completely on God’s provision, :..learning to tell not man but God ,his needs and to believe that God will supply them.” After hearing of him and the astonishing, jaw dropping miracles that occurred in his life, the curiosity was too much…I had to read of his radical faith and the resulted blessings from God.
In reading this book, there have been SO MANY points made by Muller so worth embracing, but there is one that was really relevant to me at this exact point in my life, how Muller viewed his job. To set the scene here, Muller, longing to serve the Lord applied for missions work in London. With time passing and not having not received a response, Muller embraced encouraging and strengthening words of the scriptures and took a leap of faith—Muller was led by the Spirit to feel that this waiting for appointment was wrong; that instead he should receive orders only from the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostle Paul & Barnabas were sent forth. So, Muller in his passion for serving, was offered to occasionally speak at a church in the area, eventually being offered to lead the congregation as its pastor.
In accepting the offer, Muller was worried by a stated salary and he gives three reasons why he wanted to give up a fixed salary. His third and final reason was what really caught my attention. He writes, “the whole system of pew rents and salary are liable to become a snare to the minister, in that he works for hire rather than for spiritual reasons.” He goes on to write, “For unconsciously I had been led to trust in an arm of flesh, going to man instead of of going to the Lord at once.”
This really made me think of the many times I’ve struggled with my own faith in God providing for me, especially now as I begin to raise support for this mission trip. Day after day I can’t help but be reminded of our state of economy, the increasing unemployment and other many circumstances that try to invade my mind and keep me clinging to the job that I have now. Yes, the so called ”job security.” What a term coined by Satan himself. Lately as I’ve began spiritually and mentally preparing for this mission, I’ve found myself in close distance to a snare, just as Muller describes. I can’t help but think of the grueling hours that I have spent at the office working these past few days to make our deadline to launch my company’s national promotion. Yes, time & energy so that I can market & promote HVAC products. Time when I would much rather be on my knees praying for my mission, for the people our team will be ministering to, or time reading and reflecting on the Word of God, or working in the community helping people who can’t help themselves. I don’t want this to come off as me complaining, because that is not my intention. I praise God for the job He has provided me and I am thankful for the many opportunities I know He used me within those cubicle walls to plant seeds for Him. I guess what I am trying to get across here that I liked Mullers perspective of seeing the fixed salary as a snare—he saw this salary as being committed and obligated to something in which he wanted no obligation. Right now I am obligated to my job. I do my best to do this work unto the Lord, working as diligently as best I cam, trying to be a blessing for my colleagues and boss and use any opportunity to witness while I am there. But when the Holy Spirit prompts me to work for Him, I pray that I won’t find myself in a snare—a snare of HVAC –how utterly sad! I can’t help but wonder, what other snares are out there…snares keeping us from working for God. I know that’s what I want to be–a servant and diligent laborer for Him. I want Jesus to sign my paycheck! I know that is the only paycheck that can make everlasting, worthy deposits for His Kingdom. The other day I had an appointment with a new doctor. In making conversation, he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I’m in marketing. I then shared with him news about my mission trip and said I would soon be marketing full time for Jesus 😉 Yes–that’s what I desire, to spend every waking moment thinking/working/sharing/loving/serving in the name of Jesus.
