BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

B V O V : 1 7 themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!" I love this translation because it shows Paul getting right to the heart of the issue. It is ignorant, he says, for us to compare our ministries, gifts, talents, businesses, workplaces or homes to others. Our only responsibility is to focus on what God has called us to do. We're called to steward our gifts, talents and resources, not compare them to the gifts, talents and resources of others. As I said, I wrestled with this when I fi rst began in ministry. I assumed that if I wasn't doing what others were doing, I wasn't doing it right. One day, I decided to ask my grandfather, Kenneth Copeland, about it. He and I were fl ying together in a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron from Tulsa, Okla., to Fort Worth. I'd spent that whole day waiting for the opportunity to ask this question. After we had taken o out of Tulsa Riverside Airport, climbed to altitude, and on course for home, I asked him, "Papaw, in the beginning days of your ministry, were you tempted to see another minister and want to copy them?" His answer was so prompt and profound. "No." He answered, without hesitation or further explanation. In the ensuing silence I thought to myself, Yeah, me neither. Who would do that? It seemed like an eternity of quietness that followed as he sat in the left seat and I slumped in the right. But it wasn't long until he spoke up again and explained: "Jeremy, the Lord told me in the beginning days that when it came to other ministers, I could learn from them; but when it came to being like somebody, the Lord said, Be like Me." That was a profound piece of wisdom that I've never forgotten. Galatians 6:4-5 echoes what my grandfather said: "Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct" (NLT). None of us is called to duplicate another's call, and yet we all too often tend to get our eyes on what others are doing and the perceived success and impact they are having. When we do that, we fall headlong into the comparison trap and will be left thinking over and over again that we are not succeeding in our ministries or prospering in our lives. It is good to learn from the example of others. However, I have found that when you fix your eyes on them, you run the risk of becoming more familiar with the call of God on their lives than you are with the one on your own. This is a dangerous trap to fall into, but the way out is simple—do what the Spirit of God said in Galatians 6:4 and pay attention to your own calling. What has God told you to do? What work has He anointed you for? What grace has He given you? If you give your life to answering these questions, you will escape the comparison trap and live free from the spirit of competition that is steering many people in the wrong direction for their lives. Pay attention to your own calling. This is a lesson we must all learn, but sadly, many learn it the hard way. Even Timothy, Paul's son in the faith, faced this challenge in his ministry. When he was a young pastor, he dealt with contention from the older, disgruntled believers who didn't think he was mature or seasoned enough for the position he held. Paul, like a true father in the faith, promised to straighten the situation out when he arrived. Meanwhile, in 1 Timothy 4:13 he wrote to Timothy and said, "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." He was telling Timothy to get his eyes o what others thought he should be, and to focus on the assignment God had given him. In verse 15 Paul said to Timothy, "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them" (NKJV). You and I avoid falling into the trap of comparison and competition when we fi nd out what God has called us to do and give the full measure of our lives to fulfi lling His assignment. Bring Back the Fun Being driven by the spirit of competition will absolutely drain all the fun out of ministry and life. We can't enjoy what God's called us to do if we're constantly looking at somebody else and thinking they're doing it bigger and better than we are. So right now, let's commit to resisting the spirit of comparison and competition in our churches, ministries, workplaces and homes. Instead of focusing on what someone else is doing, let's focus on what God has called and equipped us to do, so we can fulfi ll our assignment, according to the Word, with faith and love. Then not only will we succeed in what God has called us to do, but I'm convinced we'll also have a whole lot of fun in the process. i Watch Jeremy & Sarah on Sun. 2:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Wed. 3 p.m | 11:30 p.m. Thu. 8:30 a.m. | Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET Watch C H A N N E L Sarah on Sun. 2:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Wed. 3 p.m | 11:30 C H A N N E L Jeremy Pearsons and his wife, Sarah, are founders of Pearsons Ministries International and pastors of Legacy Church in Green Mountain Falls, Colo. For more information, visit them online at pearsonsministries.com or legacychurch.family

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