The Lord has been really teaching me about leadership and his love those two things go hand in hand. I went to a our youth ministries leadership conference this past weekend and they had a time where the prophetic ministry at our church gave us at random prophetic words. This has been a difficult week and I asked the Lord if he would give me a word and they did. The word was that I was surrounded by darkness….(I know right first I was like waa I don’t receive this but wait for it lol). That I was surrounded by darkness feeling pressed on every side but, it was because the darkness was attracted to my light. That I found myself sometimes wondering why do I draw the most interesting people because The Lord has drawn a lot of broken and wounded people around me because he can trust me with them. That I have a gift of relational evangelism and my life would be a testimony for many because of my consistent walk with the Lord. I began to laugh because that is so true and I have noticed that it has become very apparent in this season of my life as I have stepped up in leadership. The Lord continues to remind me that “he has sent me people to love and I shouldn’t turn them away”.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I have noticed that sometimes in the Body Of Christ unfortunately, we have away of hurting and rejection people out of fear. Sometimes we do it purposefully and sometimes its ignorantly but it all boils down to our lack of love. Everyone is a different levels of freedom in our Christian walk and we can easily talk about that person state under the label of “being cautious” when it can be gossip saying be careful this person has this spirit, this person has that spirit, this person is struggling with this sin, you don’t want to get to close to them like their a disease or something. Which further caused the person to be rejected again and not walking in any more freedom than they were before. This mentality has broken up many friendships, families, and even churches.Even if the person is indeed is struggling or bound by some spirit we know that are fight is not against flesh and blood so you fight this in the spirit with prayer and with……..LOVE for that person! I have experience this in my own life through church small groups and my own personal experience where I was rejected as well because of Spiritual warfare I was going through. It was so painful to be rejected by my own Christian brothers and sisters who I thought would be the source of encouragement during the most difficult time in walk with the Lord.
Mark 2:13-17
While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
You see not once was Jesus moved by all the darkness, demonically bound, and spiritual dead people around him when he walked this earth. So why do we as Christians? Jesus first perfect in his love because He was and is Love! He was so confident in who He was, in Who He served and the power that was with in him. As Christians were called to do the same. It is important to seek God for wisdom in all things but, were called to take authority over spirits of darkness and to be friends to the sinners. We are the light of the world so they will be drawn to our light and that’s okay because that’s when we can impact them with the love and power of Jesus Christ. I love what Jesus said that its not the healthy that needs a doctor but, the sick. So when we see our Christians brothers and sister sick, struggling with a lust of the flesh, or strongholds or even the lost who are sick spiritually they are the ones that need Jesus the most and not to be rejected or outcast because they are not free.
The scripture says the one who fears is not made perfect in love. Wow so as a Christian if we fear we then allow the evil spirits of this world to have more power over us. When the word of God says greater is in me than who is in the world! So when you find yourself around those who are in darkness that’s a great opportunity to allow your light to shine even brighter rather than being afraid of being attacked, trusting or even loving them. Most importantly as a leader its important to realize the Lord has called you to bind the wounds of the hurting, to go after the lost and that can only be done with his perfect love. You will never serve perfect people and if you are then your not really serving the Lord lol. So Perfect love cast out all fear. Ask the Lord to perfect your love.
-From Jesus with love