Ministry 101 – Gift of recognition

Being thankful takes some practice. Being grateful for the things you have in life can be easily found if you pay closer attention. But you sometimes forget the people that God has placed in your life. You can’t do your ministry by yourself. You’ll always have people that give their hands and time to help out.

Have you ever got frustrated about not being appreciated by others for what you do? Of course, you are working for the Lord, and that’s all the matter in the end. But it’s nice to be recognized for your excellent work once in a while. Everyone should receive a gift of recognition sometimes.

I believe it when I see it!

“I believe it when I see it!”

How many times many of us said that in our daily lives? Some people say, “Seeing is believing.” Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, was just like many of us. He spent many days following Jesus, talked with Him, ate with Him, and ministered people with Him. But that was the exact words he said.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” – John 20:24-25 NIV

He said unless he can see Jesus with his eyes and touch Him with his hands, he won’t believe it. But that’s not what the bible says about faith. After he had close fellowship with Jesus, what did sweep him away to unbelief?

Ministry 101 – Time to grow up

What’s the difference between adults and children? Well, of course, there are physical differences. But the differences are how they talk and act. Children are expected to talk like children and act like children. Adults are expected to speak like adults and act like adults. Conflicts happen when they are mismatched.

Mistakes that children make with speech and actions can’t be forgiven, overlooked, and corrected to be better. They are expected to make mistakes. But when adults talk like them and act like them, they will be a problem for many people and many places. They might need to be told that it’s time to grow up.

Ministry 101 – Back to basic isn’t a bad thing

You and I live in a culture of more is better, bigger is better, prettier is attractive, and being famous is greater… Of course, some people are called to serve in those environments. But not everyone. Probably most people are not. God says,

For I know the plans I have for YOU,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

His plans are for YOU! They are custom ordered by the creator who designed you and your life for His glory. God never asked you to envy, compare, or dream to live a life for someone else. But He wants you to fulfill your purpose and calling for your life.

Ministry 101 – Your job as a leader

Have you ever been a people pleaser? If you have, you know it’s an endless effort, and never be enough of doing it. In the end, you’ll feel like you are not good enough doing your ministry work, frustrated and tired, and burnt out. That’s not what God called you to be. And He won’t be pleased with it.

If you haven’t experienced that yet, you might be doing a great job as a leader, or maybe you haven’t stepped into ministry deep enough. If so, let’s think about this in your ministry as a future reference.

Moses was a great leader. As you know, he led the Israelites out of Egypt and its slavery. He experienced the power of God working in his life to be a leader. But he fell into the people-pleasing problem like many of the leaders do.

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.  – Exodus 18:13-17 NIV

Sometimes, as a leader, you feel like your responsibility is to meet all the needs of people. You might think that you have to keep everyone happy. But is it really your responsibility as a Christian leader? If it’s not, what is the best way to be a leader that God called to be?

How to stay away from people-pleasing

1. Remember that you are not God

God is the one who can meet all those needs of the people. You are not God and impossible to keep everyone happy all the time! Moses said in verse 15 and 16,

“Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

If you don’t lead people to seek God instead of you, they will demand to receive something from you. If they don’t receive what they are looking for from you, they will be upset. But it’s not your place to meet those needs. You are called to lead them to God, who meets their needs.

2. Listen to your adviser

If your friend, family, or another leader who cares enough to tell you what you are doing will hurt you later, listen to their advice with a humble heart. Moses had his father-in-law, who came alongside him to give him advice.

Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. – Exodus 18:19 NIV

3. Delegate your ministry to other leaders

You are a leader doesn’t mean you have to carry all the weights of ministry all by yourself. Delegate your responsibilities to those people who are capable of it. Then you can focus on what you really need to focus and be able to lead people without the burnout.

But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. – Exodus 18:21 NIV

Be the best leader you can be in the way God called you to be. But without people-pleasing!

Ministry 101 – Old stuff is comfortable, but…

Do you like the changes? Do you cooperate with changes well or fight? Life will be comfortable and somewhat easy when you don’t bring any change in your life. But it also makes your life stagnate. And you won’t experience a life that God had meant you to live.

Your life has one chance to live. Would you miss to see all of it because you want to be comfortable? God sure doesn’t want you to have just a part of His plan for your life. But by your choice, you might miss out on the wholeness of your life.

Old stuff is comfortable, but…

Ministry 101 – Passion is contagious!

Passionated leaders produce more passionated leaders and followers! Let’s settle with the fact. If you see people around you have a lack of passion, you might need to examine your own passion for ministry.

Passion is contagious!

You are a ministry leader, whether you have a position or a title. God called you to do a unique ministry that flows out of your life. Your passion for God and His Kingdom will produce more passionate Christ-followers and ministry leaders.

“Follow the leader…” 

You sing it sometimes. But people didn’t say that for nothing. It’s true that however you live your life with passion, people around you will respond. When you serve God and His people with passion, they will receive passion from you. It is contagious! But if you don’t have passion for yourself, people will respond to that as well.

The power of the gathering

Do you know how long does it take to form a new habit? According to Dr. Maxwell Maltz, it takes 21 days to adjust and form a new habit. I’m not sure if you feel that is too long or too short. But within 21 days, you can retrain yourself to do something new.

It’s been over 4 months since churches had regular services in the United States. The believers were told to stay home and not to gather at church. You’ve been watching the church services online and couldn’t have much time for fellowship with other believers for 4 months. Do you think a new habit has formed in many believer’s lives? If it only takes 21 days to form a new habit, what have 4 months created in them?

How about you? Are you excited to get back into the gathering with other believers? Or are you like some believers that formed “a new habit” who feels more comfortable at home and not seeing people in person? This quarantine season did a strange thing to Christianity. But the Bible commands us not to neglect to meet other believers.

Is Jesus THE answer?

“Jesus is the answer for the world today…” Believers love that classic song. And I don’t doubt that the world needs Jesus, and many people will find the answer in Him. Would you agree? What one great sentence to share the Gospel. But wait a minute… Is that what Jesus said, though? Sometimes, Jesus sends you and me to be the answer to people’s lives.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:35-40 NIV

Ministry 101 -More than your ministry

If you have a passion for God and the purpose of your life, you want to nail down what your “ministry” that God has given you. And that is a beautiful thing. Every Christian has that desire to fulfill your call.

You give your time, mind, and heart to do the work of Christ’s kingdom needs. You want to use your gifts, talents, and resources for your ministry to expand. How many hours a week are you giving your time to local church ministry or another ministry that you are involved in? Is your mind full of thinking what’s next for those ministries every day?

But there is something that you need to put your heart into more than your ministry…

If your ministry becomes a more important thing in your life, you might need to stop and re-evaluate your life and ministry. Sometimes, your ministry could take the place of security, your identity, and a hiding place of personal struggles. When that happens to your heart and mind, you will become “ministry-holic.” You will put more of your time and energy into “what you do” to cover up all those things.