God’s Treasure = People!
Mining Out The Gold
Mining is a very interesting process, one that requires a huge commitment of time and effort to produce anything of even the slightest value. We start by digging a big dark hole. Then we throw out rocks, piling up tons of dirt all around us. No value in this part! Next, we sift out the ore. Here we begin to find something of value, but still, have nothing that is very usable. But through ongoing work, we separate the ore, refine the most precious part to produce pure gold, and bring out of it something of beauty and lasting value.
Are We Moving Or Taking Away The Dirt?
The process that people go through in coming to an understanding of God is much the same as the process of mining. As Christians, we are called to bring out the best in others as they grow in Christ. However, we have to ask ourselves, are we just moving about the dirt in another person’s life or are we mining out the gold?
Matthew 13:44 says: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Jesus was making a declaration that we are the treasure that the “man” Jesus found in His Father’s kingdom. “For joy over” finding us, He sold His place as God and has paid all for us!
Identity & View Change
God will always look for the good and bring it forth even amid a bad situation (Romans 8:28). He doesn’t need to raise up or identify with the dross in us, or others. Instead, the Holy Spirit testifies to who we truly are in Christ by revealing the opposite. Jesus gave us an identity change based on what He sees, not based on what we see or even how the world sees things.
BE CAREFUL! Our words are powerful
Regarding New Testament prophecy, Paul very clearly states that or words should line up with edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). This basically means that our words should always, encourage, build up and comfort people. Never to add to their dirt or mess! Since we are not their savior, Jesus is, our words need to point them back to Jesus and how He sees them.
Paul’s statement shows that we are not to reveal or detail people’s problems to others. Although they may have issues, make poor choices, or be living messy lives, our words must bring hope, redirect their course and bring them life and not death. Words are important and can bring people down very quickly! That’s why it’s important that we don’t speak out negatively what we see physically versus what we hear and see spiritually. The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Our tongues, as we know, if we are not careful, can be very damaging and hurtful, which Proverbs confirms here.
See People How God Sees Them
When we have felt led to speak about what we have seen or are tempted to gossip about what we’ve heard about someone, know that this is not God’s heart toward them. If we judge and criticize people for the way they look, the way they dress, or even the lifestyle they live, again, this is NOT how God treats His people or His creation. He only creates His masterpieces from His heart! Would a master painter ever criticize his own work and call it trash? NEVER! So why would we call one of God’s masterpieces trash?
Prophecy is NEVER a Basis For Judgment Or Criticism
Be careful when you speak a prophetic word over someone that you are not pointing out their messes or mistakes. Let’s face it, we’ve all messed up because people are messy, whether we like it or not. We’ve all made poor choices that have led us down the wrong path, or we’ve all had life’s circumstances deal us a few bad blows! How we respond to our own situations often determines if we see ourselves either as victorious in Christ or a victim of the world. However we perceive ourselves, we cannot then release our own preconceived ideas or experiences on others when we are speaking God’s oracles over them.
“Switching Atmospheres”
When we are asking God for a word for someone else, or He directly reveals something to us going on in their lives, it’s primarily to start declaring over them the opposite of what’s going on in their circumstance. His desire is that we release God’s kingdom perspective over them. This is what some ministers call “switching atmospheres.” By doing this, the negative is superseded by the positive as His life-giving words are released.
Great Leaders Should Always See The Gold
Andrew Carnegie, a poor immigrant from Scotland, was one of the greatest business leaders of the early 20th century in America. Andrew’s statement surely carried the heart of God.
He said “Men are developed the same way gold is mined. Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. But you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt,’ he added. “You go in looking for gold.”
Our Mandate is To Demonstrate
So, start digging away the dirt in people to reveal their God-given gold that has been buried by natural circumstances and poor decisions. When we do that, we participate with Jesus’ mission of salvaging a field for the treasure He died to redeem.