THE TRUE RICHES OF LIFE
One important aspect of this is to remember those who love you and believe in you. Be thankful for them and ignore those who don't like you. I have been blessed with people in my life who have always loved me and believed in me, and I think of them often.
Some people think that that the biggest need in ministry is money. It is not. The biggest needs are faith and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. God also uses the faith and the love of other people who stand alongside us, and who speak their faith, love, and encouragement over our lives. The love of such people is priceless and it enriches our lives with something that is worth far more than money.
As I said earlier, I have been richly blessed with such people in my life. I will not "embarrass" them by getting all emotional and mentioning their names, but I will write of two such people who were great blessings to me and are now in Heaven with our Lord.
The first would be my friend Pastor John Nuzzo's dad "Papa" John Nuzzo Sr. He was a bear of a man, a tough, big old steelworker - but o my, what a kind and loving heart he had! Papa and Mama Nuzzo took this young preacher to their hearts and loved me. This I can say with confidence: if Papa John had been a billionaire, our ministry would never need a penny from anyone! I can say this, as I remember him today, that the love and kindness that he always showed me was worth far more than any money.
I think of him often and smile. I remember an occasion when John invited me to preach in his church. Before the service he told me that they could not take up an offering for our ministry because they had scheduled a second offering for their building project, but that they would give us a generous cheque anyway (what he gave me was more than what the offering would have been, because John has always been an incredibly generous man).
I remember that after the service Papa John took John (his son and his pastor) aside and "let him have it" for not taking up that offering for us. John had to calm his dad down and explain to him what he was going to do for us. I was standing not far away, and watching his dad brought both a smile and a tear to my eyes. I remember John coming to me and saying, "Chris, my parents really love you, man!" Just to know that this old Italian man believed in me and loved me helped me to have more faith in myself.
The second example would be an old lady who lived in the North of Sweden, Margit. A lady of simple means, she lived in a simple little wooden cottage in the village where Britta grew up. She was the same age as Britta's mother and they had grown together since childhood.
Tant Margit took me to her heart and prayed for my family and I daily from when I met her until she died. She used to have us over for a meal every time we would visit Sweden. She rarely left her village, but if I was preaching anywhere within 250 kms, she used to drive her old car through blizzards and snowstorms to be there to hear me preach. Every month she used to send me 100 Swedish Kronor (around $15 then) in an envelope. You may not think that it was much, but the Love and the Faith behind that $15 was huge beyond what I could imagine. What it meant to me is incalculable.
Both Papa John and Tant Margit are Home with Jesus, but I think of them often, how they believed in God's calling on my life and how they loved me. This in spite of the fact that they knew other preachers far greater than I will ever be.
So my friends, ignore the fools who do not like you, and remember those who love you and believe in you. Value them, be thankful that God put you in their hearts. They may never go to the same places you will go to, but their faith, love, and prayers will carry you, go with you, and make you a better Servant of God. You and I are truly blessed to have them in our lives.
Lastly, an even better thing would be to be if you and I could be that kind of person to somebody else. What a Blessing that would be. One of the most priceless things in life is to know that we are loved and that there are people whom God has put in our lives, who believe in us.
Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam