When I realized that my work as a Communications Pastor had the potential to change the world, it changed me. I had been working long, hard hours to produce incredible graphics, clear marketing messages, and streamlined systems. I was working hard because I wanted people to like my work. I wanted them to be impressed with me. The trap of this left me feeling burned out and like I had no value to anyone.
Then I met a man who helped me see my work through the eyes of eternity. Gaining an eternal perspective didn’t make me want to stop producing those great graphics, clear marketing messages and streamlined systems; it actually made me want to do it better.
Three Things That Changed in Me:
#1 – It Changed My Perspective
My focus went from impressing audiences and meeting deadlines to remembering that everything I was doing, I was doing because it had the potential to change someone’s life, someone’s eternity.
#2 – It Shifted My Standards
The value of everything went up. My team didn’t just produce good graphics, we produced great ones, because eternity was at stake. We didn’t update our website and roadside banners because we wanted to be hip and trendy. We did it because eternity was at stake. Having that eternal perspective made what we were doing critical, not just creative.
#3 – It Shifted My Attitude
Life in the Communications Ministry can be pretty thankless. It’s filled with deadlines and the constant critique of your work by superiors and peers. But once my perspective shifted from me-focused to eternity-focused, my attitude changed. I participated in ministry meetings with this question in my mind, “How will this change someone’s life?” I felt like a member of every ministry’s team, not an outsider producing their 3×5 glossy cards.
I never spent another day wondering if my work was making a difference. Changing my perspective made me realize that if we communicated a clear and compelling message about the hope of Christ, people’s lives would be impacted, for eternity. Communications Ministry matters because we are communicating God’s message about the church; and the church is the hope of the world.
How do you view your work?
