Staying the Course: A Weekly Challenge for Faithful Servants
Frustrations in Ministry - Be Careful!
What pastor has not faced any number of frustrations in ministry? These frustrations can be as varied as there are people in the church. It may be a financial struggle the church is under. There may be a person that is genuinely seeking to undermine the integrity of the leadership. A board member may be at odds with the pastor, which creates tremendous heartache and difficulty. I am sure you can add numerous “real life” issues that you have faced or are facing!
In the midst of the difficulties related to ministry, the pastor must respond consistently according to the instruction that we are given in God’s Word. We must not allow the circumstances of life in the church to generate sinful attitudes and actions in our lives. (Easier said than done!)
Consider the life of Moses. He was certainly called of God in a unique way. He did come dragging his feet but God assured him that the work accomplished with the nation of Israel had everything to do with God, not Moses! He did see God do many miraculous works.
The Israelites were a fickle people. Their faith was generally closely associated with their comfort. While they were guided by God’s presence in a pillar of cloud and fire, they would typically blame Moses and Aaron for what they considered misdirection.
In Numbers 20 they were complaining again because of a lack of water. God had been more than adequate to meet this need in a prior situation, but that is not considered with the Israelites, so they grumble against Moses.
It is tragic enough that the nation continues to grumble against God, but now we see that Moses falls into sin! He allows the frustrations of ministry to derail him.
In Numbers 20:8 God tells Moses to “speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water.” In verse 11 “…Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly.”
This act of disobedience brought a quick response from God: “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.’ " (verse 12).
Friends, in the midst of the challenges of ministry, believe in God. He will accomplish His eternal purposes without fail. Treat Him as holy. We can never justify our sin based on the sin of others! Be careful to walk precisely as the Lord has commanded.
There is an overwhelming amount of material on the internet today. Who could possibly keep up? There are not sufficient hours in the day to read all of the books, blogs and tweets, or to listen to all of the CDs, mp3s and podcasts.
The purpose of XL Ministries is quite simple: We desire to train people for ministry within the context of the church. We are also committed to providing encouragement and ongoing training for those who are currently serving in the ministry.
Staying the Course is simply another avenue to accomplish these purposes. Our desire is to offer, in a brief format, biblical encouragement and practical insights to remind us of who we are in relation to who our great God is, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. The intent is to provide some scriptural thoughts for meditation for the week.
