Isaiah 10:15-16, “Shall the axe boast itself against him that… fire.” One great temptation with the human is to forget the source and begin to commend himself. The strength of the axe is dependent on the user of it. The instrument is at the mercy of the user. The keyboard is here but it can’t play itself. The axe is there, no matter how sharp it is, cannot cut down a branch of a tree. The instrument is at the mercy of the user. Anointed preacher, but the Lord giveth the Word. ‘The Lord gave the Word, great was the company of them that publish it.’ (Psalm 68: 11) He has title; he has degrees, but has no impact! Whenever you see the act of God in your life, remember to give Him the glory. You are just an instrument! I strongly believe that over-commendation leads to condemnation. Commendation is condemnation in disguise! The instrument is there but cannot perform without the user of it. Jesus Himself acknowledged this when He said, ‘I can of myself do nothing.’ (John 5: 30) And if Jesus, as close as He is to God, said He can’t do anything without God, I think I will be stupid to think I can do anything without God. I will be too stupid!
Please learn this secret, that in the secrecy of your heart; never praise yourself. Never let it even cross your mind that you are doing anything tangible. You see the heart of man is very drifty that he tells himself if they don’t praise me, I will praise myself. Never! It is the pathway to the grave. Constantly ask yourself why me oh Lord?
Billy Graham, (the great American Evangelist) said when we get to heaven and he has a chance to ask God a question, all he will ask is: ‘Lord why me? Of all people why me?’ Those are men who count themselves as nothing. He has had the privilege of meeting the most powerful key people all over the world. ‘Why me’ he asked? He understood he’s just an axe in the hand of a hewer of wood. I am just an instrument! I love the song that says ‘if you can use anything Lord you can use me.’ If you care to use anything like me, I am not the best of all men but if it interests you at all, if I ever have any comeliness for you to even look at me talk-less of handling me.
Never let it cross your mind that you are a specialist in any assignment. Never, because that will be your downfall. Never let it cross your mind ‘if it were not for me’. Never enter into the shell of commendation. I believe the greatest gift God can give a man is that of keeping himself humble. Oral Roberts said his grandmother used to tell him, ‘Oral remain small in your eye.’ Never see yourself as a significant man. Live your life as if you are not doing anything significant. Don’t feel as if you are doing anything special, don’t! It will help you maintain a sense of appreciation that somebody is behind you, using you. Those who feel too significant lose relevance because your attraction is dependent on the one using you.
Who knows there is an axe any where? Now after a tree is being cut, do they say an axe cut the tree? Who will they mention? The one who used the axe! Don’t let anybody find out what you are doing; let them know who is doing it through you. That’s how to maintain relevance; that is how to go forward.
A few years ago somebody climbed the altar and with excitement was sharing a testimony, he said ‘when Bro. Steves prayed for me…’ and some fellows were shouting, I said, ‘shut up, don’t shout a man down.’ The greatest of preachers still answer Bro. they call Graham, Bro. Graham. What have I done close to Graham? How many nations have I been to? Those who seek significance will lose relevance. Never seek to be significant, never seek to be popular. Never seek to be known rather seek for people to know ‘Him’ in the open or in the secrecy of your heart. Don’t enter the shell and say ‘well they don’t know my importance but I know I am important.’ You know we all have tendency for that. ‘Now I think they will know me’. That’s what the wife of Jacob said; ‘Now my husband will have recognition for me.’ (Genesis 29: 31-35 Paraphrased) But the hatred continued until she named the child ‘praise be unto God, Judah.’ If you don’t want to lose relevance don’t seek significance. The one using me is the one giving me a name. If you make Him known He will ultimately make you known, if you project Him to the world He will ultimately project you to your world!
This is the undoing of many people in ministry today. They forget the user and capitalize on the used and so the used becomes useless. When the used forgets the user it becomes useless. May you not become useless in Jesus name! We are all familiar with the story of how Jesus rode on an ass; after Jesus came down we never heard anything about the ass again. So don’t let THE MAN come down from your back. Keep your back readily available at all time both in the open and in the secret of your heart. If you let Him come down, your case will be worse than King Saul’s. Keep acknowledging Him. It is well with your soul in Jesus name, keep the progress walk on. Shalom!
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