I heard a story today of a youth pastor who was leaving his church to start a new one. His wife had a little concern, because they have six kids all under the age of ten. Planting a new church meant they would have to probably rely on her income as a nurse for a good bit of time until there was a steady church group. Now the youth pastor is also a nurse, but he will not use his nursing as a means of income, not even part time. He has told her that "it would take me away from God's work." Basically, he didn't want any of his time to be taken away from ministry.
There is the need of the youth pastor to provide for his wife and six kids. He also has to address the concerns of his wife. Then he has this new direction of ministry he is driven to go to. I don't really want to focus on the youth pastor, because there just isn't any way to know the totality of the situation. We don't know what the Lord told him, and we all know church planting is a huge step in faith. I just want to illustrate the different levels faced.
Hearing this though, I thought of a saying my mom would say to describe Christians who had a similar outlook at times. She would say that "they were so Heavenly minded that they were no earthly good." Its an old cliche and somewhat blunt, but I got what she meant. She wasn't saying it to be mean, just that it was surprising that people could be so focused on God, but yet not actually doing His work when it was in front of them.
When we tease "Jesus Jukers" aren't we somewhat attaching that same thing to them? If a person asks where they can get a good mattress so they can sleep better, and someone responds "You can find rest in the Lord," the person didn't really give a practical answer. They weren't wrong, but it didn't solve the problem about where to get a good mattress.
Do you believe that people can be so busy or scoped in on the work of the church that they can forget their own work as individual Christians? Is there such a thing in your mind as the idea of "being so Heavenly minded, no earthly good?"
There is the need of the youth pastor to provide for his wife and six kids. He also has to address the concerns of his wife. Then he has this new direction of ministry he is driven to go to. I don't really want to focus on the youth pastor, because there just isn't any way to know the totality of the situation. We don't know what the Lord told him, and we all know church planting is a huge step in faith. I just want to illustrate the different levels faced.
Hearing this though, I thought of a saying my mom would say to describe Christians who had a similar outlook at times. She would say that "they were so Heavenly minded that they were no earthly good." Its an old cliche and somewhat blunt, but I got what she meant. She wasn't saying it to be mean, just that it was surprising that people could be so focused on God, but yet not actually doing His work when it was in front of them.
When we tease "Jesus Jukers" aren't we somewhat attaching that same thing to them? If a person asks where they can get a good mattress so they can sleep better, and someone responds "You can find rest in the Lord," the person didn't really give a practical answer. They weren't wrong, but it didn't solve the problem about where to get a good mattress.
Do you believe that people can be so busy or scoped in on the work of the church that they can forget their own work as individual Christians? Is there such a thing in your mind as the idea of "being so Heavenly minded, no earthly good?"
