Winners come last after Jesus changed rules

An unusual school sports day event saw the prize awarded to the last person across the line, writes Duncan Clark (pictured above, inset) in his new book Live Deeply.

The email arrived on Monday morning. It was the day after we had hosted a well-known and well-respected guest preacher.

Like many visiting ministers do, he was writing to express his gratitude for the opportunity to speak at our church.

As he concluded his delightfully worded email, he signed off with a final sentence that went something like this: “Duncan, I’ve noticed something about your leadership that I think needs some work, and if you give me a call, I’ll talk to you about it and I’ll help you improve.”

Now, you might like to think that the first thought that came into my mind was, “Tell me more. I love people showing me how I can get better at my job!”

But that’s not how it went.

My first thought went something like this: “How dare he! Who does he think he is?”

The ego and pride that resided deep in my heart quickly found their way to the surface, and feelings, thoughts and words of self-defence overflowed.

Thankfully, I have learned not to respond to those kinds of emails too quickly, and during the next 48 hours, as the email sat in my inbox, the Holy Spirit began to work on my interior world.

My response slowly changed to, “How dare I! Who do I think I am?”

THIS ISN'T THE END OF THE STORY!

Read the whole article in context in the April 2024 issue of Direction Magazine.

Direction Magazine

Direction is the official monthly publication of the Elim Pentecostal Churches in the UK, and is packed with all Elim's latest news, inspiration, vision and teaching. Find the latest edition and many back issues of Direction here.