A question from one of my online article's readers: Excuse me, I would like to ask about ways that can help pastors protect themselves from the behavior of jealousy.
Answer:
For a pastor to overcome a habit of jealousy:
1. He should know that envy is a sin that leads a person to hell. Envy was mentioned among the works of the flesh that can prevent a person from inheriting the kingdom of God. Therefore, he should seek to overcome this sin and be comfortable with others' success.
Galatians 5:20,21 “idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, heresies, envy, drunkenness, revelries, and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, as I have also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
2. He should know the grace he has been given and be content with it. If a person realizes that he is a hand, he will not be troubled to want to be a foot. Each member is important for its specific function.
1 Corinthians 12:18 “But God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he pleased.” When the Lord called Peter, he wanted to know what his neighbor had been given. Perhaps he felt that his neighbor had been given a greater ministry. The Lord told him to be more concerned with his ministry than with others. He should do what he was called to do. John 21:21,22 “Then Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, and what about this one?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me.”
3. He should be patient, knowing that he will be blessed in his own time. Everything has its own time.
Abraham waited 25 years before he received Isaac, the child of promise. Job also waited and received twice as much. James 5:11 “Behold, we call them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
4. He should be comfortable with his standard of living without comparing himself to others. The thumbprint proves that no one is the same as another. Each person is created in their own way.
They should recognize the good things they possess instead of just focusing on their shortcomings. Psalm 139:14 “I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and my soul knows it very well.” 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not rank ourselves with some who commend themselves, nor compare ourselves with them; but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves by themselves, are without understanding.”
5. He should know that no one is perfect and self-sufficient. If he sees someone being praised, he should know that there is an area where he is lacking; it's just that he hasn't been told.
Paul once rebuked people who compared the preachers of their time. 1 Corinthians 3:4,5 “For when one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not mere men? Who then is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are ministers through whom you believed, and to each as the Lord has assigned.”
6. He should keep God’s commandments. Remember that the tenth commandment forbids us from coveting the blessings of other people.
Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor shall you covet your neighbor’s wife; nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
7. He should be dedicated and develop himself. He must be hardworking in learning so that he is always ahead of others. Envy overcomes a person who has remained at a certain stage for so long that other people reach his level and pass him by. Such a person sees those who have surpassed him as a threat. As a result, he begins to hinder them from serving God instead of seeing them as supporters in his ministry.
Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Proverbs 4:13 “Take hold of knowledge; do not let it go; hold on to it, for it is your life.”
These are some ways to help a pastor protect himself from the habit of envy.
MCHUNGAJI AFANYEJE ILI ASHINDE ROHO YA WIVU?
Swali kutoka kwa msomaji wa makala zangu mtandaoni: Samahani naomba kuuliza njia zinazoweza kuwasaidia wachungaji waweze kujilinda na tabia ya wivu.
Jibu:
Ili mchungaji aweze kushinda tabia ya wivu:
1. Ajue kwamba wivu ni dhambi inayompeleka mtu motoni. Wivu ulitajwa miongoni mwa matendo ya mwili ambayo mtu akiwa nayo hawezi kurithi ufalme wa Mungu. Hivyo atafute kushinda dhambi hii na kufurahia mafanikio ya wengine.
Wagalatia 5:20,21 “ibada ya sanamu, uchawi, uadui, ugomvi, wivu, hasira, fitina, faraka, uzushi, husuda, ulevi, ulafi, na mambo yanayofanana na hayo, katika hayo nawaambia mapema, kama nilivyokwisha kuwaambia, ya kwamba watu watendao mambo ya jinsi hiyo hawataurithi ufalme wa Mungu.”
2. Ajue neema aliyopewa na kuridhika nayo. Mtu akitambua kwamba ni mkono hatasumbuka kutaka awe mguu. Kila kiungo ni muhimu kwa kazi yake maalum.
“1 Wakorintho 12:18 Bali Mungu amevitia viungo kila kimoja katika mwili kama alivyotaka.” Petro alipoitwa na Bwana alitaka kujua mwenzake amepewa nini. Pengine alihisi mwenzake amepewa huduma kubwa zaidi. Bwana akamjibu kwamba huduma za wengine hazimhusu. Yeye afanye kile alichoitiwa. Yohana 21:21,22 “Basi Petro akamwona huyo, akamwambia Yesu, Bwana, na huyu je? Yesu akamwambia, Ikiwa nataka huyu akae hata nijapo, imekupasaje wewe? Wewe unifuate mimi.”
3. Awe na subira akijua atapokea kwa wakati wake. Kila jambo lina wakati wake.
Ibrahimu alisubiri miaka 25 ndipo akampata Isaka, mtoto wa ahadi. Ayubu pia alisubiri akapokea mara dufu. Yakobo 5:11 “Angalieni, twawaita heri wao waliosubiri. Mmesikia habari ya subira yake Ayubu, mmeuona mwisho wa Bwana ya kwamba Bwana ni mwingi wa rehema, mwenye huruma.”
4. Ajikubali bila kujilinganisha na wengine. Saini ya dole gumba inatuthibitishia kwamba hakuna mtu anayefanana na mwingine. Kila mtu ameumbwa kwa jinsi yake.
Anatakiwa kutambua mazuri aliyo nayo badala ya kuangalia tu mapungufu yake. Zaburi 139:14 “Nitakushukuru kwa kuwa nimeumbwa Kwa jinsi ya ajabu ya kutisha. Matendo yako ni ya ajabu, Na nafsi yangu yajua sana.” 2 Wakorintho 10:12 “Kwa kuwa hatuthubutu kujihesabu pamoja na baadhi yao wanaojisifu wenyewe, wala kujilinganisha nao; bali wao wenyewe wakijipima nafsi zao na nafsi zao, na wakijilinganisha nafsi zao na nafsi zao, hawana akili.”
5. Ajue kwamba hakuna mtu ni mkamilifu na kujitosheleza. Akiona mtu anasifiwa kuliko yeye ajue kuna eneo jingine ana upungufu ni vile tu hajaambiwa.
Paulo aliwahi kuwakemea watu ambao waliwalinganisha wahubiri wa kipindi chao. 1 Wakorintho 3:4,5 “Maana hapo mtu mmoja asemapo, Mimi ni wa Paulo; na mwingine, Mimi ni wa Apolo, je! Ninyi si wanadamu? Basi Apolo ni nani? Na Paulo ni nani? Ni wahudumu ambao kwao mliamini; na kila mtu kama Bwana alivyompa.”
6. Ashike amri za Mungu. Akumbuke kwamba amri ya kumi inatukataza kutamani baraka za watu wengine.
Kutoka 20:17 “Usiitamani nyumba ya jirani yako, usimtamani mke wa jirani yako; wala mtumwa wake, wala mjakazi wake, wala ng'ombe wake, wala punda wake, wala cho chote alicho nacho jirani yako.”
7. Ajitume na kujiendeleza. Apende kujifunza na kusoma zaidi ili siku zote awe na ziada. Wivu unampata mtu ambaye amebaki katika hatua fulani kwa muda mrefu kiasi kwamba waliomkuta wanampita. Mtu wa aina hiyo anawaona watu waliomzidi kuwa ni tishio kwake. Matokeo yake anaanza kuwazuia kumtumikia Mungu badala ya kuwaona ni wasaidizi wazuri wa huduma yake.
Luka 6:40 “Mwanafunzi hawi mkuu kuliko mwalimu wake, lakini kila mtu ambaye amehitimu hulingana na mwalimu wake.” Mithali 4:13 “Mkamate sana elimu, usimwache aende zake; Mshike, maana yeye ni uzima wako.”
Hizi ni baadhi ya njia za kumsaidia mchungaji ajilinde na tabia ya wivu.
Dr Lawi Mshana, +255712924234, Tanzania
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