Not About Us

“They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:17-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

False teachers have always been found among the church. And that was no less true in New Testament times than it is today. There will always be teachers among us proclaiming that which is false, attempting to mislead those who are in Christ.

This is what Paul found among the Galatians. Although they had received the gospel and trusted in Christ, false teachers slipped in among them in his absence. And this upended their relationship with him.

While the primary test for any teacher is how well he holds to the truth of Scripture, we see something more in Paul’s description for which we ought to be on the lookout. We also see something to which we must pay attention in our own lives as we seek to carry out the Lord’s work.

Paul mentions that these false teachers make much of them. And this is something to which we all gravitate. After all, we all like to be made much of. But, to what end?

The false teachers, being described by Paul, made much of the Galatians. But they did so that the people would make much of them. Their aim, you see, was selfish in nature. Their ministry was not ultimately about the people, it was about themselves. They sought the attention and admiration of the people.

If this is the goal of teachers among us, we should flee. If their end is selfish in nature, if they are ministering for their own sake rather than for that of the people, we should run. And we should do so because this desire will corrupt their ministry.

We should, instead, follow those who seek the welfare of the congregation. We should follow those who desire the salvation of souls. We should follow those who minister with the attitude of Christ.

That being said, even faithful ministers possess a sinful nature. And this desire creeps in even among us. So, we must watch ourselves. We must confess and repent each time we see this desire welling up in our own heart.

Many pastors, for example, will use one church as a stepping stone to another. Their aim isn’t, so much, about ministry where they are currently serving. They simply want to move on to bigger and better. They seek more and more influence and, perhaps, more and more wealth.

Many of us aren’t content to shepherd a small flock. We want the mega-church. We want the book deals. We want the TV and radio programs. Ultimately, it’s all about us.

Ministry, you see, is not about us. It’s about Jesus. It’s about the congregation. It’s about the lost. And to faithfully carry out the ministry is not to be selfish, but selfless.