Ministry

If you have been involved in ministry for more than a few weeks, you’ve probably noticed that discouragements come with the territory. Of course, there are times when all is great, the mountain-top times. But discouragement will keep biting at us all from various sides. In this post we will consider one response to the issues raised, then in part 2 we’ll balance that with another possible response.

Discouragement can come from others. Sniping, gossiping, criticism, comparison and outright attack. I remember reading Well-Intentioned Dragons, a small book addressing the issue of people who think they are doing the right thing, but keep on tearing down the pastor or minister. Discouragement can come from inside. Feelings of failure, inadequacy, downright fatigue. Discouragement can come from lack of obvious fruit in the ministry. It can come from almost anywhere.

Remember that this treasure is in earthen vessels, and that applies to you as much as to your congregation or to others. Remember that your role is not to make everyone happy all the time. Remember that God has prepared you and gifted you and is continuing to use you, even if you don’t feel it right now.

Paul wrote about earthen vessels in the context of his own preaching ministry (2 Cor.4). “We are earthen vessels so that God will receive the glory. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; stuck down, but not destroyed.” At times we may feel knocked down, but we’re not knocked out. By God’s grace let us get back up and press on for His glory!

One of the great occupational hazards of ministry is that we can so easily lose the wonder of what we are dealing with. With the demands of the schedule, the expectations of people, the burden of creativity in a season that comes every twelfth month (but is only fully reported in two gospels), the ongoing reality of messy lives (people still get in trouble, marriages still fail, loneliness still bites, folks still sin), and so on, we can easily lose the wonder of Christmas.

In this post I don’t want to prescribe how to keep the wonder of it all, I just want to suggest we do. Whatever it takes. Perhaps time with family. Perhaps some extra guarded time alone with God. Perhaps a special treat carol concert. Perhaps a brief journey to a sentimental place. Perhaps read one of those booklets the church is offering to visitors over Christmas. Whatever it takes.

Let us make sure that we don’t go through Christmas feeling the pressure and the burden of it all, without also renewing the wonder in our hearts. Let us be captured by the grace of God that He would step into this world. Let us be gripped by the hope inherent in the Christmas story for a world of sinners – for Christ came into the world to save sinners! Let us be stirred afresh by the history-changing event of the incarnation. Ponder the first Christmas, ponder the reality of the incarnation, ponder the journey from Bethlehem to Calvary, ponder the everlasting nature of the incarnation. Ponder. Ignite the wonder again. Whatever it takes.