Ownership!

Ownership

In the business world, the term 'ownership' is an important part of team building and project management. Project managers are taught different ways to engage group members so that they participate in problem solving and gain "ownership" in a task or project. Once they "own" or feel the responsibility for part of the solution, they work harder, smarter and enjoy the success of completion. Those that do not have ownership usually become a problem. They become scoffers, complainers or pose other obstacles to those who are working.

Nehemiah was such a successsful leader that I thought of this principle recently as I finished reading Nehemiah 13. He had spent 12 years praying and leading the people in Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, the temple, set up the Levitical priesthood, reinstate the feasts, and fill Jerusalem, that when he returned to find corruption, he was angry. He even beat some of the men who intermarried with non-believers.

Imagine how he felt. All that hard work. All those prayers. How dare them defile God's city in that way. How dare him allow the enemy to live in the temple! How could they intermarry with non-believers after all those years of living in rubble because of their forefathers' compromises. How dare them!

Can you see his ownership?

Well this reminded me of a woman who is part of a prayer ministry for her church. Almost every week for many years she goes to the prayer room and prays scripture over the people, the pastors and leaders, and ministries.

Her desire? That God would build the church so that the work wouldn't be done in vain. That believers would be rooted in Love and grounded in the Word. That non-believers would be convicted and convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and alone can save them from their sins. And, that believers would grow up into the fullness of Christ, His love, and resurrection power.

Guess What Happened When She Saw Someone Gossip?

She displayed ownership - just like Nehemiah. She was concerned about the corruption of the ministry. She hadn't been in that room praying all those days to let this vile thing happened. So, she dealt with it the way God said to in His word. She prayed beforehand, she met the person privately... and they worked it out.

Her ownership in the church and ministry kept her on the right path.

It occurred to me that Jesus had similar principles in mind in John 15:15. Right after telling the disciples to love, pray in his name, and obey him to the point of laying down their lives, he said: "You are my friends if you do what I say. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Can you see the ownership he offers us? But something else occurred to me as I pondered these truths.... He is also helping form our identity as His child.... and His heir. We are sharing the family business. We are building his kingdom. Demolishing strongholds. Claiming truths. Spreading light.. and life! And, of the end of this kingdom (that we are laying hold of here on earth) there will be no end! For HE shall reign forever.... and we will reign with him.

Rev. 5:9-10 "And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Rev. 22: ^{3-5 "}No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

Now that's OWNERSHIP I want to be a part of!