THE DANGER OF LIVING SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE
I would like to share the message I preached in our church at Korogwe. I believe this message is for you too because God has a unique plan for your life.
1. You fail to know your mandate or job description
Isa 61:1-3 “"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
Our Lord Jesus knew clearly His mandate and description of His ministry here on earth. Nobody is ever employed in any reputable office without a Job Description (JD). If you don’t have a JD you may do someone else’s work and ignore yours. As a result, you will not be paid even if you sweated and toiled.
2. You lose your purpose in life, anointing, and divine authority
Rev 3:11 “"Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
Matt 21:43 “"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”
Jer 1:5-10 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant."
When you fail to manage what God has given you, you may lose it. God will take away your ministry if it is unproductive in His Kingdom. God’s plan for your life started before you were created in your mother’s womb and not when you were born again. When you accept Jesus you receive new life or a new beginning. Ask yourself why you look like that. There is a specific ministry that needs that kind of person. Be satisfied with your own life without trying a counterfeit life. Please your God by not correcting Him for the way He created you.
3. You will not be secure and protected
Acts 19:13-16 “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Most readers apply this passage only to warn unbelievers about casting out demons in the deliverance ministry. We have to go beyond that. These sons of Sceva tried to use the Name of Jesus through Paul. Even today we have people who use the names of their pastors, priests, and bishops instead of maintaining their personal relationship with Jesus. They even venerate or worship their leaders. In addition, we learn that you are vulnerable when you do ministries God has not anointed you to do. You have to understand the authority God has given you. You better call people with greater endowment so your life is not unnecessarily endangered.
4. You will not appreciate and be thankful for what you have
John 21:19-22 “This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." Starting from verse 15, we see that Jesus was discussing with Peter concerning his commitment to Him. However, it seems that Peter was not satisfied with his assignment. So when he saw John, he thought that probably Jesus had given John a greater ministry. Jesus didn't like this perception of asking about other people’s business. Jesus answers him by saying this is not your business Peter. Do what I commanded you to do. Fulfill your ministry and be content with what God has given you. God knows your weakness and capacity to do things. He knows you more than you know yourself.
5. You will not be confident and courageous
Jos 1:6-9 “"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
When God was talking to Joshua, the successor of Moses, said three times BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE. It means that God wanted him to sacrifice and risk his life so that he could bring His nation to the promised land. He was told to stick to his life purpose without turning to the left or the right. Today we see some people depending on “begging” instead of “praying”. We need to be confident and courageous because God will never leave nor forsake us if we are on the right track.
6. You will lose your identity
2 Cor 10:12-16 “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us--a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment.”
Apostle Paul says he is doing his best to be WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE SPHERE WHICH GOD APPOINTED HIM. If you fail to identify your boundaries you can find yourself in your neighbor’s farm toiling for him. But also you may boast in other men’s labor of which you will not be paid for in Heaven. In churches today some members donate nothing to the church development but share success stories as if they were part of it. The day will come when everything will be evident because our God sees in secret. I thank God that I’m aware of this. When people see any success in our ministry will always attribute it to me. But I know what I will be rewarded for and what I will not. Our God is not mocked. Gal 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
7. You may die prematurely
Jer 11:9-11 “And the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. "They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers." Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them.”
When you go beyond your boundaries, you will find yourself in trouble because you will go alone without an angelic escort. God sends angels to bring you into the place God prepared for you. Ex 23:20 “"Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.” If you go alone you risk your own life because you will not have divine protection. God’s angels will not escort you to a place you were not commissioned to go or a ministry you were not mandated to do.
8. God can strike you
2 Chr 26:17-19 “So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD-valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God." Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.”
If you do ministry you are not anointed for, God can punish you even if you have authority as a leader or ruler. King Uzziah forced to do priestly ministry. Eight priests withstood him but he didn’t listen to them. So God struck him with leprosy on his forehead. Even today we have ministers who are struck by God so they have lost anointing and gifts of the Holy Spirit. They just give stories of how God used them mightly in the past. You have to know what you have and what you don’t have. But also know who has got what you don’t have.
9. God can reject you
1 Sam 13:10-14 “Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, "then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."
Samwel was the last servant of God with triple anointing (prophetic, priestly, and kingly). Later God’s people wanted to have a king like other nations. So, they were given Saul as their king. King Saul was rejected by God because he tried to do priestly ministry. He did what God didn’t commission him to do. As a result, God sought for Himself a man after His own heart to replace Him. Even today we have ministers who are still in the office but were rejected. What happens to this kind of rejected ministers is that they don’t have anointing to make things happen so they force and coerce people.
10. You will not know whether your work is complete or not
2 Tim 4:7,8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Since you don’t know your boundaries it is not easy to know how far you have gone. Apostle Paul is among the servants of God who knew the size of their ministries and what they deserved to be rewarded. Before Paul left this world he said I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE AND THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. How about you? Do you know how far you have gone and what is still left so that you can speed up? Apostle Paul had never come to Tanzania but was confident to say, I have finished the race. Do you know why? He knew the demarcation of his ministry. No employee will work hard if he/she doesn’t know the payment and allowances. You won’t work hard and sacrifice your life and resources if you don't know HOW MUCH YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, HOW MUCH IS LEFT, AND WHAT REWARD AWAITS YOU.
MY PRAYERS FOR YOU:
I pray that God will give you wisdom and revelation of what God has in store for you so that you don’t waste your short time left and resources available.
Dr. Lawi Mshana, +255712924234 (Call & Whatsapp); Korogwe, Tanga, Tanzania
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