MINISTRY MOTIVATIONS

What motivates you for your life long ministry? What keeps those fires burning?

Paul writes in II Corinthians 4 and 5 four motivating factors for persevering in ministry.

1. Looking forward to the day when troubles will be over. The frustrations and stresses of ministry will someday be rapt in the joys to come that will last forever. The tough issues we face in the ministry are brief compared to eternity.

2. Someday we will all be judged for what we have accomplished in his name. That is a sobering and motivating thought. May that kind of healthy fear reign in our lives!

3. Whatever we do it is because Christ's love controls us. There is only one person we need to please in our ministries. Jesus Christ. Aren't you glad that His compelling love is unconditional.

4. We have the privilege of bringing a message of reconciliation to the world. We get to be his ambassadors that God is using daily in the lives of people. What could be more motivating than that?

What motivates us brings back to our hearts once again. Paul writes: "Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God."

Are our sincere hearts the reason people brag about us or is it spectacular ministry?

WHERE IS THE POWER?

As I have recently read the book of Acts I was again astounded by the power that was present in the early church. Thousands were coming to Christ, while many signs and wonders were taking place.

We know the New Testament church wasn't perfect by any means. We don't have to go much further than Ephesus or Corinth to realize that any church can get messy Even in the early days there were certainly logistical adjustments being made via deacons coming onto the scene.

While I am not into the signs and wonders movement, I do sense something missing in the evangelical church today. I sometimes think what is missing is the power of God's presence being clearly manifested. I wonder if more seekers would be attracted to a church where God's power had a clearer expression?

In my mind there is nothing more powerful than a transformed life. Maybe we aren't giving enough opportunity for transformed lives to tell their stories. Maybe we are so fixed on the teaching of the word that we aren't spending enough time on the transformed lives of the word?

I am convinced that God may want to do far more then we could ask or imagine if we would just be more sensitive to his voice. I believe we have tipped the scales so heavily toward the teaching of the Word being the only way God speaks that we have missed many wonderful opportunities that the still small voice has prompted. In fact, I wonder if we listened and obeyed the still small voice more often maybe his power would be more visible.

Where is the power in your church?

Subtle Celebrating

I recently had a discussion with a pastor who was discouraged in the overall progress of the ministry in his local church. His response to me sounded something like this:

"People don't seem to get it."

"Leaders aren't stepping up."

" I feel like I am the life support of the church."

" We aren't really catching the vision for our community."

" It seems like everybody is satisfied living in maintenance mode."

" The giving is down."

How I remember those very words periodically in my 30 years of pastoral ministry.

As pastors we have big dreams and ideals that motivate us to make an impact for the Kingdom.

We understand what the scriptures are calling the church to be and when we can't see the tangible momentum in our ministries we get frustrated.

Let me help you out of that spiral with a suggestion. Learn to celebrate those subtle victories.

Hang on to that person who recently gave their life to Christ. The elder who stepped up to the plate. The person who you recently counseled who had an "aha" moment. The budget being met, even though the giving is down. The spiritual growth in some of the individuals. The recent baptism.

The point is this: Our stress and discouragement is often measured by the distance between expectations and reality. Reality is, that God is at work when one life is changed. So before you get too discouraged maybe it is time to either lower ones expectations, or get in better touch with reality.

In the meantime keep celebrating the subtleties of ministry.