Some thoughts on Ministry

There are two great tragedies that I have observed in Christian ministry over the years:

1) The absence of joy

So many Christians serving in the ministry have never once discovered the joy of Christianity, the joy of service. The word “once” was struck off, because upon discovery of that joy, it would never have have left, the Christian simply could not have bore to. 

I have by now mentioned to ad nauseam really, how important that joy should be to Christians. The Christian walk is not an easy one, but Christ gives us all we need to carry on. On one hand there is all the tangible blessings, all our talents, etc to make our walk possible. But there is also the joy, the joy that can give us strength, and hope, to continue running.

Christians serve in ministry not out of obligation and compulsion (at least I hope that is never the case), but because it grants them great fulfillment, purpose, andjoy. If it were the former two reasons, one would never be able to last for long. The race is long, arduous, and tough. Thoughts of giving up are counter-able only because there is the joy, the joy uncircumstantial, that keeps one going. 

How many times have there been, when Christians lie on their beds at the end of a long day, tired; grumpy; sullen; close to disillusionment; all-out-unhappy, but yet sleep with a smile on their faces because the joy comforts them, renews them, and keeps them running. 

I cannot begin to describe just how wonderful this entity is, but I can tell you that it’s open to anyone who asks. Christians, ask the Almighty for the joy, because it is the fuel you need to continue running the race, and fighting the good fight.

2) The absence of Christ-focussed-ness

People serving in the ministry forget that it is Christ’s ministry, and not their own. Not anyone else’s, for that matter. They lose their sights on Christ, the prize they should be fighting for and focussing on, and allow their attentions to be diverted instead on the race they are running, their own bodies, the bodies of their friends, etc.

Symptoms of this include quibbling on ‘proper way to do things’; getting upset when things don’t go their way or when their opinions get trumped by someone else’s, etc. I quote someone else’s blog where he writes,

“Why all the arguments? Why all the “I follow Paul” or “I follow Apollos”? Why all the disputes over who gets the credit for what ultimately belongs to God alone? Why all the petty arguments over small personal sleights?”

It’s true, my brothers and sisters. When we are in ministry, let us not forget for one moment our utter dispensibility. God does not need us to do His work. God forbid us ever thinking that. He, is forever in control and we, are forever merely instruments. In that light, is there cause for us to get into a fluster, for us to get all affected when things do not go the way we want them to be? When we feel our opinions are not being considered, when we find things are not being done right, what we should do is to instead take our concerns to God in prayer. Because He is in control of all, should we doubt that He will set things right (if our concerns are valid)?

On a somewhat similar tangent, it is extremely unfortunate that many Christians see their relationship with their fellow comrades and servants as something like this:

What this means is that they seek ‘unity’ among themselves first before they attempt seeking God, before they attempt to achieve a cause. What they do not realise, is that because their relationship with God is so dependent on their relationship with their ‘friends’, is it soo easy for the devil to disrupt their mission - all he needs to do is to sow discord, discontent, among them.

KO.

A more lasting structure can be seen in the following diagrammatic representation:

This is how we should be united. This is the model of lasting relationships. The line connecting both Christians is but inconsequential, because our bond is through Christ. This is what true unity is. With unity like this, it becomes SO much harder to shake the Ministry, because few things can get us down.

When problems come our way, what we need to do is to take it up to God. When grievances and discontent comes our way, when the devil seeks to sow seeds of discord, let us bring it up to Christ. Because he is the intermediary, he can decide how much of it is relevant, and correct the other Christian appropriately. How much simpler conflict resolution becomes!

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Upon consideration of these two tragedies, one would of course realise the implied criticality of a relationship with Christ. The ‘acquisition’ of the joy of the Lord is derived from close communion with Him, while the establishment of the second model of relationships needs both Christians to have a bond with God first.

Yes, it is true. We need to draw close to God. But that’s what Christianity is supposed to be about, isn’t it. “Christianity is a relationship”. That line has been mentioned 96835924824620206324062 times before, and i’ll say it again.

If we’re serving in Ministry without a close relationship with God in the first place, something is awfully warped about our service. Something is inherently wrong at the start, and needs first be addressed.

Haha it has been a long post, and I hope I have been coherent. Anyway, I have said enough, and I shall end off just with a reminder for all those reading to do your QT,

cos everything starts off from there