Leadership and ministry can feel like a roller coaster.
You go at break-neck speed through lots of twists and turns, and as hard as you
try, you can’t see what is ahead. One situation goes exactly as you predict;
the next one plunges into something else entirely. You face emotional ups and
downs—walking with friends through personal tragedies, grieving with some and
celebrating with others. This is the roller coaster of ministry, and there is
no way around it.
However, we often experience more exaggerated highs and
lows because of the pressure to lead a more “spectacular” ministry. We ride
high as church attendance, decisions and giving rise, and we plunge low when
they don’t. Sometimes we read about incredible ministries and rather than feel
energized, we feel frustrated. Suddenly everything we are doing looks ... less.
We may feel drained and defeated. We thought things were going okay until we
saw how well they were going everywhere else! The pressure for a spectacular ministry
can lead us into unnecessary emotional ups and downs and steal our joy. This is
a reality for all kinds of ministry leaders and for churches of all sizes and
styles. So I want to share some practices that can help on the roller coaster
of ministry.
Focus on Faithfulness
When Paul talks about having a spectacular ministry, he
notes how much more important it is to have a faithful heart. Some attack his
ministry and character, so he seeks to give his friends the ability to respond
to his haters. He writes, “God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this,
too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason
to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular
ministry rather than having a sincere heart” (2 Cor. 5:11-12, NLT).
Paul makes a distinction between a “spectacular ministry”
and a “sincere heart.” He simply and powerfully reminds us that what is most
important is not our fruitfulness but our faithfulness. In fact, our
responsibility before God is not a spectacular ministry but a faithful and
sincere heart.
Now, please don’t misread me. I’m all for results. I want
to do everything I can to remove barriers that keep others from knowing Jesus
and his life-giving salvation. I believe in counting most everything in our
ministry so we can measure our effectiveness. I love to see progress and
welcome accountability. However, in the end, a significant portion of ministry
can’t be reduced to simple attendance and growth numbers. As I focus on being
faithful first, it has a way of leveling me out from all the unnecessary ups
and downs. I also think it allows our ministry to be more fruitful over the
long haul.
Stay
Compelled by Jesus’ Love
Every ministry and church will go through up and down
seasons. Paul shares the secret of how he kept going in the face of those who
questioned his motives and even his sanity. He writes, “Either way, Christ’s
love controls us,” (2 Cor. 5:14, NLT). You can do the work of God for a lot of
reasons—the praise of people, public recognition, loyalty to others, etc.—but
the only thing that keeps you going through the ups and downs is the love of
Christ. Because of Jesus’ love, every person matters, every size church
matters, every number matters and every heart matters.
Let’s commit our hearts to be faithful and sincere before
God, compelled by Christ’s love, and we’ll find ourselves enjoying the journey
again while celebrating every victory in God’s kingdom.
Jud Wilhite is The
New York Times bestselling
author of Pursued: God’s Divine Obsession With You (FaithWords) and senior pastor of
Central Christian Church, a 2013 Outreach 100 Church, No. 68 Fastest-Growing;
No. 9 Largest.
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