When Christians truly love God and others, it minimizes crabbiness, critical spirits, and nitpicky preferences. It prompts believers to willing give of their time, talent, and treasures. More people extend grace when things don’t go their way in the church. And, by the way, the opposite should hold true as well. When we pastors love God and love others well, we extend those same graces to people in our churches.
4 Steps Toward Joy in Ministry
So how can we encourage our church to make our a joy in ministry and in doing so fulfill Hebrews 13. 17 which says, Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery? (Message) Consider these suggestions.
1. Model the behavior and attitude you hope those in your church will live out. We can’t live by another standard. Neither can we expect others to do what we are unwilling to do ourselves.
2. At appropriate times (not when you’re mad at somebody), include this concept in your teaching and preaching. When I taught Philippians 2 it26 made it natural to broach the topic.
3. Tell stories of church people who live out godly character and conduct. People emulate what you publicly honor.
4. Thank people when they live out the values that bring you joy. Express it privately and publicly.
What has brought you the greatest joy in ministry? How can you encourage church people to do it more, without becoming self-serving?
This article on joy in ministry originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
