"Pearls Before Swine" Matthew 7:6

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."

 Several times Jesus said things like, "I only say what I hear my Father saying, and I only do what I see my Father doing."  I think that how Jesus ministered and what He is teaching here are related, and I believe that they give us the secret to effective personal ministry.  Jesus listened to the Father and did and said what He heard.  He prayed for those the Father said to pray for.  He healed those the Father said to heal.  He ministered where, when and to whom the Father directed Him.  And because He listened and obeyed, His ministry was 100% effective.


We can tune our hearts to hear that "still small voice." as well.  And if we hear and obey Father, we have effective ministry.  The alternative is an approach that many people take -a sort of shotgun approach -preaching at everyone, praying for everyone without even asking God what to pray or what His will is.  The hope is that some of what we throw out there finds the target.  Sometimes we do, indeed, hit the mark.  More often, however, we invest all of our time and energy ministering where God is not working, doing things that God never actually told us to do.  This is ineffective and Jesus likens it to casting pearls before swine and giving sacred things to dogs.  It sounds a little harsh, but it shows us a spiritual reality:  if God is not speaking and moving people's hearts and preparing them, they are simply not able or willing to receive ministry -there will be a total disconnect and lack of understanding, like preaching to animals. 


The secret to effective ministry is hearing and obeying Father -not just the written Word, but also the inner promptings.  When we do what He is telling us to do, He will empower us to do it and there will be fruit.  Otherwise, the swine and dogs are getting the children's food.