Chasing after Spiritual Heights

[newlife]

I've been thinking about this for awhile. Before I got involved with the ministry, I didn't have this in my life.

I didn't have this constant striving to be better spiritually. I didn't have this focus on what could I do to be a leader like ______(you fill in the blank).

In my mind, there was this "caste" system.....where you go from one level to another level, to another level and each level had it's benefits that others didn't have......all the while having to be approved by someone who was of course at a higher level than you were. How could I be "followed" like so and so? I think I thought that was the goal. I think this really got a hold of my mind...and even when I left, I still carried it with me where I went.

God freed me though....I finally saw how this whole idea of a Spiritual caste system was a deception. Even when I left the ministry, I saw the same thing in some of the churches. Who has the most anointing.....who has the power of God. who can heal the most people. It's so deceptive and yet so easy to fall into, the "I'm not this and I lack this and I've got to do more" to be at a higher level---to be closer to God.

But it had a hold of me.....big time. I see it now as there are none of these class levels...It's not biblical or scriptural. When we get born again, we are in the Body of Christ....we are all in the family. And yes, there are gift ministries....Ephesians talks about that. But they are not in a caste system......They are people in the ministry just doing what they were called to do. This shouldn't make anyone "want" their calling.

We are "enough". God accepts us and wants us to Grow in our relationship with him, not climb the spiritual ladder. I think if you want to talk levels, it should be about serving and loving--deeply.

I see this whole caste spiritual system as something that stole a lot from me and made a nut case spiritually. My focus was so totally screwed up.

Again, We are "enough" for God.....

Did you feel like I did?

[chockfull]

I've been thinking about this for awhile. Before I got involved with the ministry, I didn't have this in my life.

I didn't have this constant striving to be better spiritually. I didn't have this focus on what could I do to be a leader like ______(you fill in the blank).

In my mind, there was this "caste" system.....where you go from one level to another level, to another level and each level had it's benefits that others didn't have......all the while having to be approved by someone who was of course at a higher level than you were. How could I be "followed" like so and so? I think I thought that was the goal. I think this really got a hold of my mind...and even when I left, I still carried it with me where I went.

God freed me though....I finally saw how this whole idea of a Spiritual caste system was a deception. Even when I left the ministry, I saw the same thing in some of the churches. Who has the most anointing.....who has the power of God. who can heal the most people. It's so deceptive and yet so easy to fall into, the "I'm not this and I lack this and I've got to do more" to be at a higher level---to be closer to God.

But it had a hold of me.....big time. I see it now as there are none of these class levels...It's not biblical or scriptural. When we get born again, we are in the Body of Christ....we are all in the family. And yes, there are gift ministries....Ephesians talks about that. But they are not in a caste system......They are people in the ministry just doing what they were called to do. This shouldn't make anyone "want" their calling.

We are "enough". God accepts us and wants us to Grow in our relationship with him, not climb the spiritual ladder. I think if you want to talk levels, it should be about serving and loving--deeply.

I see this whole caste spiritual system as something that stole a lot from me and made a nut case spiritually. My focus was so totally screwed up.

Again, We are "enough" for God.....

Did you feel like I did?

Yes, absolutely newlife. There ain't no org charts in the body of Christ.

[waysider]

If you think about it as being a pyramid scheme (because it was), does it make any more sense?

[mstar1]

Did you feel like I did?

For a long time...That was TWI's whole game--move from class to next class, from Wow to way Corps to ordination....climb some invisible corporate ladder----It took along time to get that whole idea out of my system.

pfffft

for better or for worse Im content to be me. I have nothing to prove to anyone and no one i feel the need to impress, nor do I want anyone to (ewww... yuck....ptoooie ) follow me

[excathedra]

haven't read the thread, but i want to say i kept trying to understand some spiritual things, i thought the way corps would do it for me, but that kind of destroyed me