In ministry, whatever you are called to do requires you to take a risk. God leads you to accomplish the calling that you were made for. But He’ll never tell you from step 1 to step 10. I’m sure you wish He did. But if He did, it won’t take your faith or obedience. At the same time, you listen to the Holy Spirit with your limited human ears and comprehension. You won’t be 100% sure you’ve heard Him right. It doesn’t mean that you doubt that God has spoken to you. You are just not sure if you can listen to Him right for 100%.
Taking a step of faith is risky.
Have you ever considered how much risk that Mary, the mother of Jesus, took? What came across her mind when the angel came to her and told her what is about to happen? You and I read the Christmas story year after year as good news to the world. But when you think about what Mary really had to deal with in her life, it was risky.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” – Luke 1:34 NIV
There are two different kinds of Christ’s followers in this world. One is satisfied to know that they have a promise for eternity security in heaven. And the other one is want to use their lives to impact the world in Christ’s name. Do you want to accomplish something great with your life? Do you know what the difference between those two groups is?
Every Christ-follower is experiencing that struggle right now. It is twice much harder when you are in ministry. We are all human, and you’ll have the moments when you feel like you want to say exactly what’s in your mind and get done with it. But you know you can’t. 
Living by faith is more challenging than talking about it sometimes. Faith isn’t a fuzzy feeling to live through every day. But it takes your action to jump into the things that you don’t know the outcome. It’s a “sink or swim” decision. The bible says,
Have you ever wondered when or how you can ever feel “You are enough” and confident about it? No matter how many times you’ve practiced, you think you didn’t do enough. No matter how many schools or classes you’ve taken, you haven’t learned enough. Do you ever feel confident doing your ministry?
Have you wondered why you still have so many battles in your life even though you serve God faithfully? Did you think your life struggle was over when you gave your life to Christ? Did you think your sickness be gone, and your heartaches will mend? Why are you continually have troubles in life? Are these troubles ever end?
Are you a complainer? Even if you aren’t, it’s not natural to you. The complaining spirit has embedded in the human soul since the sin came into humanity. You don’t have to practice to be a complainer because you were born with it. You could be complaining about anything from too cold, too hot, too little, too much, too loud, too quiet. You’ll never be satisfied if you don’t learn to be thankful.
Are you confident enough doing your ministry by educations and training you had? Or did you even have any schooling? It’s always a question of whether you need schooling or don’t to make your ministry successful. In the secular world, your history of education has ever questioned for finding a job or promotion. People will assume your quality of life and your being by looking at the list of education history. But God’s Kingdom principle is so much different than what the world expects. The bible says,
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27 ESV
Have you noticed that the more you carry a more significant responsibility in the Kingdom, you lose more people to pat on your back? We all need encouragement sometimes. But the more you become a leader of some sort, and then you encourage others more than you receive. You are the one to feed others with encouragement. How about your needs?
Live with Purpose 