Leadership Responsibility: Lev 7-9

This was a hard lesson for me earlier this year.  What we see in this passage is that before leaders can usher the people into the presence of God, they have to be there themselves.  The ordination sacrifices are elaborate and require lots of work to cover over their sin and make them holy.  Not only that, the priests must remain at the tabernacle day and night for 7 days and do anything that the Lord tells them to do during that time. 

The work is worth it.  When the sacrifice for the people was laid before the Father the Glory of God came out from the temple and consumed the sacrifice and all the people cried out in joy.  Wouldn't you!?!

This is an immutable principle in ministering God's life to others.  Before we have anything to give of any worth to those we serve, we have to be clean before the Father and recieve His power and glory for ourselves.  Within ourselves, we don't have anything of value to give. 

If you think this doesn't apply to you, then think again.  All of us who are covered by the blood of Christ are a part of His body.  We all minister to each other and our contribution will be missed if we aren't adequately prepared.  If we try to give from what we naturally have, we will quickly run dry and give out of need rather than out of overflow.  That's codependency and it ruins the giver and gift. 

What do you do to prepare your own heart to minister to the people in your life?