GHOSTED

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Ghosted: When someone suddenly and without explanation does not respond to a certain individual.

Most of you reading this have, at some point in your life, been ghosted. How did that make you feel? I have always felt that it was an act of cowardice and inexcusably unprofessional on the part of the person who, for whatever reason, decided not to follow through with either a commitment, or a preliminary acceptance of an invitation. On a personal level, being ghosted is a form of rejection and can be very hurtful. On a professional level, being ghosted leaves one wondering why, and causes one to think about one’s business model.

I deal with many scholars and academics, and it is a fine line to walk when trying to schedule an academically minded guest for my show. A few of these scholars simply decide not to respond after speaking with me and initially accepting my invitation to be a guest on my show. I realize that I know that this happens to many people, but I must step back and ponder if it is something that I said or is it because they want a bigger audience with whom to share their message and expertise? I respect those who are honest and upfront, and I strive to do the same for others. Constructive feedback is invaluable to any business or ministry.

If one looks at Scripture, as I tend to do, one clearly sees that God’s ways are completely opposite from man’s ways. For one thing, the LORD will never ghost you or make you feel insignificant. Man looks for recognition and grandeur and sometimes secretly holds on to misunderstandings; God looks at the condition of the heart and the intent of a person in all endeavors (1 Sam. 16:7). Christians are called to make disciples and that means that everything that we do should be motivated by the privilege and opportunity to point others to Christ, not whether our efforts will bring us personal notoriety.

If you feel that you have been rejected and do not understand why, either personally or in business (ministry) remember that the world rejected Jesus in his most crucial hour. Jesus was misunderstood and ridiculed by many, but he kept his focus on God's mission. Humans are flawed and selfish and very quick to judge what they do not understand (Jer. 17:9). The beauty of having the Creator as your guide is that he will always be honest and will give correction where correction is called for. I want to know when I am doing something wrong or if I can improve in an area of my life or ministry. God will not leave you guessing, like a human will.

Seek the LORD in every thought and action, he will respond so that you grow in knowledge (Prov. 3:4-6). It is easy to ignore someone that you have formed a negative opinion about, but instead of ghosting an individual, it might be advantageous to explain why you are about to stop communicating (Luke 6:30-31). Rise above the common humanist mindset and seek God’s Spirit of Truth and wisdom in all situations. We are called to build each other up, not to discourage our Christian brothers and sisters by disrespecting them through avoidance.

Consider becoming a contributing member to my SUBSTACK (@LITTMinistries) to help support this ministry.