Category: Devotional Thoughts

Ministry: Celebrating Victories

Let’s face it: ministry is hard work. Anyone who says otherwise hasn’t done much of it. Here are just a few of the challenges I can think of:

*Some are just not interested in God and flat out reject the gospel (and the messenger).

*Other endeavors become profitable as you succeed (business, for example). Ministry can be just the opposite—sometimes the more successful you are the more expensive it becomes (this is especially true of student ministry).

*The church/ministry is not immune from personality conflicts. This can be especially hurtful when it happens in a ministry context.

*Ministry doesn’t happen on a neat, convenient 9-5 schedule.

*Some of God’s children seem to think criticism is a spiritual gift (constructive criticism is necessary, but I’ve met people who criticize without an ounce of grace).

*Those who do God’s work are not immune from the normal challenges of life (sickness, family problems, etc).

What keeps people like me going? The power and presence of God!

But there’s something else that gives me great encouragement—celebrating victories. What is a “victory?” For me the answer is pretty simple: a victory is a changed life.

Paul was well aware of the hardships of ministry. But it seems he also knew how to celebrate victories—changed lives. Look at what he said about Timothy:

I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.
–Philippians 2:20-22

Timothy was like a son to Paul. He was eventually entrusted with the task of pastoring the church at Ephesus.  He was one of the major victories in his life and ministry–what a source of encouragement!

Are you discouraged in ministry? Maybe you have forgotten to celebrate your victories. Look through some pictures from the past few years and remember what God did. Read an old email from someone who thanked you. You’ll remember how God used you and receive great encouragement.

God is at work! Celebrate what He has done!

People Pleasing: The Soul Killer

Following Jesus has been such an adventure. He has continued to transform me in spite of myself. I’ve previously written about how He is teaching me not to be afraid of failure (see: Righteous Risks).

There’s something else the Lord is removing from my life: my people-pleasing tendencies.

People-pleasing is a soul killer. It erodes your courage, dampens your enthusiasm, and causes you to live a tepid, half-speed kind of life.

How do I know the people-pleasing attitude is not from God? Let’s look at a passage from the Gospel of Luke.

Even the tax collectors (the lowest of the low) were responding to Jesus’ message, but the “Pharisees and experts in religious law” just wouldn’t go along. They rejected John the Baptist’s message, and they criticized Jesus for spending time with sinful people. Here’s Jesus’ response:

“To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

‘We played wedding songs
  and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
  and you didn’t weep.’

For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”
-Luke 7:31-35

I’ll explain the historical context here. Children tend to imitate what they see—this is true of both modern and ancient times. The children of Jesus’ day commonly saw weddings and funerals, so they would “play wedding” and “play funeral” (I wonder if they fought over who got to be the corpse).

Jesus compared his critics to children who refused to come out and play—no matter what the game was.

Here’s the point: Jesus could not make everyone happy. Jesus didn’t try to make everyone happy. I cannot really live like Jesus and be a people pleaser.

I should instead just be concerned with pleasing God. Unlike people, God is perfectly clear and consistent in what He expects. One plus God equals a majority—the Old Testament prophets are proof of this.

There is one final issue: I am not Jesus, so I can get it wrong. How can I be open to constructive criticism without falling into the people-pleasing death trap?

The solution for me has been pretty simple. There are a chosen few whose opinion matters greatly to me. They are like Nathan to me, or sometimes like Simon.  I may not always agree with their advice, but I’m always a better man when I listen.  I do listen to others with an open mind, but only this small group has earned my complete respect.

Don’t be a people pleaser. Live your life for an audience of One.