I couldn’t believe it.  One hand gripping his toy.  The other clinched into a tightened fist.  He seemed ready to clobber anyone who came near enough to threaten his prized possession.  I don’t remember what the toy was, but I’ll never forget the spoiled defiance the child displayed as the parent tried to free it from his hand.

The toy was not his.  It belonged to another child.  The parent, embarrassed, was trying to retrieve it.  It was not going to come easy.  With feet stomping and face grimaced, he yelled, “It’s mine!  Mine!  Mine!  Mine!”

Spirits come against the Church in all forms.   Lust has destroyed many ministries and churches.  Jealousy has also brought down his fare share of great congregations.  Pride as well has been victorious over many of God’s elect.  The list goes on and on.  To say it doesn’t is to not face the reality that we are in a great war with evil.

There is another Spirit that has hindered growth in many churches.  His name is Mine.

Mine is a proud spirit.  In fact, he and Pride work very well together.  He does his greatest work in seemingly mature congregants.   He works to introduce the spirit of Possessiveness in people’s hearts.

How humble people are when they first come to Christ.  On bended knee we repent of past sins and plead with God for a new fleshly heart.  For weeks and months we are happy, just to be a part of the Kingdom.  Enjoying God’s blessings and the fellowship of his people, we start a wonderful new life.

Everything goes along just as Christ planned it for the new convert.  They are growing in newness of Life.  They are learning to trust Him and find healing for the wounds in their hearts.  Mine however, lurks in the shadows.  He hides, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.  However, he has no chance as long as Humility fills the heart of the new child of God.

Then it happens.  The new church member is asked to get involved.  Now this in itself is exactly what is supposed to happen.  The call to work in the harvest is to everyone.  So with great adulation, they are encouraged to be a part of the ministry of their local congregation.   They’re asked to teach a Sunday School class, become a greeter at the entrance of the church or play an instrument with the orchestra.  Regardless of the place or position, Mine is waiting.

They’re humble at first.  It may in fact, take several months or even years, but Mine is patient.  He knows that if he waits long enough and Pride does his work, he will soon get a chance.   He knows in time, that the individual will begin to feel like the ministry they were asked to share in, will soon begin to feel like their own.

The classroom will begin to feel like “Their” classroom.  The spot in the choir will begin to feel like “Their” spot.  Since there are very few people in the church who can do it, the sound man will begin to feel like that is “His” sound room.  In fact, the equipment is his also.  The way he does things is “His” way and no one else knows what they are talking about.  Now Mine is in control.

Pastors sometimes talk about “Their” church.  We say things like, “My People”.  We teach our churches to allow Mine in when we say, “Our Church” and “Your Ministry”.

Is anything truly ours?  Are they “Our saints”?  Is it really “My Pulpit?”  Before anyone would claim ownership to something, they must first pay the price for it.  I wonder who purchased anything in Christ’s church that He Himself hadn’t already purchased with His blood.   We would say, I’ve spent 2 years in this ministry, I deserve the right to lay claim.  Or 30 years ago, my wife and I came here when there were only 4 people, but now there is a great congregation of 300 people.  These are “My” people.

I’ve been involved in helping a few churches get through some pretty rough spots.   In fact, I would say that a couple of them almost closed up.  The reason?  Mine.

People had been around so long that they got to feeling like their position on the Church Board, was theirs alone.  They earned it.  Years of service and contributions to their local assemblies had earned them the right to their position.  Still others were Music Directors whose talents made them feel like they were unreplacable.  The list goes on and on.  In each situation, these people feel like no one (Including the Pastor) can tell them what to do.  Anyone attempting to usurp “their” position or even suggest that there is a better way is fair game for vicious attacks of gossip, slander, or even spiritual murder.

Once Mine is allowed to work in a church, very little is left untouched by his destructive cunningness.  Here is why the Ministry must guard their hearts.  If this spirit is allowed to work in our hearts and minds, it will not take long at all before it is working in the hearts of church members.  Constantly reminding the congregation of the price Christ paid for the church is a good way to keep Mine out.  Letting them know that your own ministry is entrusted to you by God and it is His to remove whenever he wills, gives them an example to follow.  Encouraging church leaders to constantly be looking for others to mentor into positions will also help them keep their hearts pure and desirous to see others come into areas of ministry.

If you think about it, you may find Mine at work in some areas of the ministry you are a part of or the church you pastor.  He’s been around a long time.  He was there when Lucifer took Jesus into the High place and was shown the Kingdoms of the world.  He waited and hoped he could get into Jesus’ heart that day.  Jesus however had a heart that yielded to the Father.  He said, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  He knew that should he lay claim to the Kingdoms, then his example to the church would be to lay dominions in this world and not in the place called Heaven.

Jesus’ example to all of us was to have the heart of a servant.  While he washed the disciple’s feet, he was teaching all of us that none of us were the master of another.  If our master is the servant, we then are the servants of a servant.  Can the servant be greater than his master?

The servant then is owner of nothing.  His possessions belong to his master.  No matter how long or how hard the servant labors for his master, he will never have the right to call his goods his own.  To the servant with the pure heart, this is by no means a problem.  His desire is never to his own gain, but only toward the one he serves.   He prides himself not in how much he holds, but rather how much he increases his master’s goods.

If his master is a good master, he rewards the servant.  That reward may or may not come in the form of goods.  It may only be that the servant has the right to live in his master’s home.  Or it may be that he gets to enjoy his lord’s favor.  His master may consider him family at some point or even entrust that servant with all that he owns.  (As was the case with Joseph on two occasions.)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God said he would not “…give his glory to another, neither his praise to graven images” Isa 42:8.  Glory can be defined in many ways.  Credit, fame, praise, triumph, success, admiration are all forms of Glory.  While it is biblical to give honor, it is also biblical to return that praise to the one who rightfully deserves it.   That one always being Jesus Christ.  When that praise is rightfully returned to the one who paid the price for it, Mine has no entrance and God’s glory will be seen by all.