3. Never Judged
I purposefully included a phrase in the point above that should have hurt your feelings—”considering your track record of failure.” Before you defend yourself, isn’t it true? Haven’t you failed in many ways during your ministry career?
Because of grace, you don’t have to drag into the new ministry day the paralyzing burden of yesterday’s sin, weakness, foolishness and failure. You don’t have to fear what will be exposed next. You don’t have work to portray to yourself and others a person you’re not.
You can be genuine and honest about places where you need to grow. You’ve been blessed with forgiveness that allows the next day to be a new day, free from the guilt of yesterday. His forgiveness allows you to own your sin, learn your lessons, and move forward with faith and joy.
4. Never in Control
There is a King, and he is not you. You don’t have to work yourself into a position of ministry sovereignty. You don’t have to shoulder the burdens of a king. You don’t have to construct your own kingdom, because God has given you his kingdom, which he perfectly rules for his glory and your good.
This should produce comfort, but it often produces stress in the souls of ministry people. When things appear chaotic, we become demanding, harsh, critical and controlling, because we forget to remind ourselves that while things are outside of our control, they’re never beyond the rule of his.
5. Never Defeated
This is my favorite part about ministry, when I remember it: God’s power is too awesome, his zeal too strong and his plan too great for me to ever thwart it.
Jesus’ plan will march on until his final kingdom has come and his complete will has been done. Yes, you can mess up and momentarily complicate your ministry. But in the middle of the mess, it’s important to remember that what you’ve staked your life and ministry on is never at risk because unshakeable divine zeal is behind it all.
So this week, wake up and smile with comfort in the face of complications. Sure, the challenges of ministry are many and the calling is burdensome, but the One who has sent you has gone out with you.
God would never call you to represent himself and then leave you on your own.
This article originally appeared here.
