Follow along with blog post/transcript below.
In chapter 8 Casto starts right out the gate by saying, "I hope to give you a solid definition of what authority is and how honoring it can benefit your life and put you on the God-track of destiny." (page 118)
I think you can surmise that this chapter is about having a covering of authority over us and it's also about staying under cover or hidden, shall we say, while serving under leadership until the Lord dictates otherwise, especially before we go out into the deep. For me myself, I have my pastor; my accountability person; my minister friend; and my spiritual and business coach. Yes those are the people I consider leaders in my life and they are the people who are helping me develop into the person God would have me to be until the "big reveal." Those people in my life are mentors and are people who know how to get a prayer through. We all need at least one person who has a strong relationship with the Lord and who is trying his or her best to live life according to the mandates of God. Having said that, we have to do our part though. We have to live a life pleasing to God too. I'm referring to spiritual people who love and accept everyone as our "neighbor" by seeing them as God sees them. Being covered requires work on all sides. In other words, God won't use the lazy. No, we have to all do our part. Proverbs 10:4 says, "Poor is he who works with a negligent [lazy] hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. And another version says "Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth."
That leads me to what Casto says on page 120 which is this: "Anytime you see God calling someone in scripture, that person is working.' For instance on page 120, he says:
- Moses was tending his father-in-law's sheep
- Joshua was fighting for Moses and the people of Israel
- Gideon was threshing wheat
- David was tending his father's sheep
- Peter was catching fish
- Stephen was waiting tables as a deacon
Yes, those people were all working before God elevated them to something bigger than themselves. What are we doing during our "wait"? Are we working and making ourselves useful in order to be used when God sends us out to reach people? What or who do we have to leave to be used the way God wants us to be used? Who has He called us to serve and remain under cover or hidden as we are being built up for ministry or kingdom work? Are we making godly moves or are we waiting on the Lord by twiddling our fingers and complaining about what we don't have? We have to get started. Remember, the ones God uses are the ones who start with what they have even if it's very little. I think most of us are familiar with how Jesus fed 5000 people with 5 loafs of bread and 2 small fish in John 6. Everybody ate and there was even more left over. God will turn a little into a lot, ok? He will. We just have to follow Him and do what He tells us to do. Nothing complicated.
In 1 Kings 19 in the story of Elijah and Elisha, Elisha was willing to serve diligently before God elevated him to greater things. He wasn't trying to be seen and out front. He was willing to learn first and serve. As for myself, I have been serving as a children's church teacher for over 20 years. I served at my previous and I'm currently serving in the same role in my church today. I have also volunteered at a women's shelter for about 6 years now. As God elevates me I will serve accordingly. We are never too small or too big to serve. Never. We're not missing anything by doing the things we should be doing during the times we should be doing them. As Casto says on page 124, "when God wants to do a great work in someone's life He often begins by building that person behind another leader." Another way to put it is, God shields and covers when we are working under cover with a leader who is teaching us. If we're obedient enough to do that, God will always have much for us and He won't just put us out there without proper preparation. As long as we're obedient He will work for the good of those who love Him and follow His commandments.
Just remember that God wants servant-leaders, not the people who want people to serve us. And serving before blowing up requires commitment and dedication to someone else's vision. Yes, we are going to decrease as God increases and that involves humbling ourselves to submit to someone who knows more than we do. And when we do that our foundation will be solid. We are not serving merely for elevation and influence either. We are serving, because serving is how great leaders are developed and serving is how great leaders remain great leaders. Serving never ends. And staying under cover until it's time to come from under doesn't end either.
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