Jesus warned of troubles in this world (Jn. 16:33). We do ministry in this world so expect some ministry troubles.
Those who are new to serving as a volunteer in the church, or fresh out of Bible college or seminary going into full-time ministry, are especially susceptible to discouragement or disillusionment as they often go into service without realistic expectations.
Ministry related troubles will come.
James 1:2 refers to facing “trials of many kinds.” What we face in ministry can bring all sorts of stress and negative feelings if we do not learn to do the first part of James 1:2 — “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” That is easier to do if rather than looking at troubles we face in ministry as problems, we look at them as opportunities. Remembering certain truths will help.
Often it is our interpretation of our circumstances that takes us down a dark path. We need to step back and take an objective look at the problem through the grid of Scripture. Jesus’ words in John 8:32 show what happens when we grab hold of truth, particularly truth through God’s lens:
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
A helpful book which you can learn more about and/or order in our affiliate bookstore, Telling Yourself the Truth, “teaches you how to identify your own misbeliefs and replace them with the truth.”
We will look at some of the ministry related troubles you might face in a series of posts:
Subscribing to this blog will let you know when new posts are available.
We can always expect problems in our ministry, it can be a rocky road. Since I lost My Wife to Pancreatic Cancer I’ve had even more troubles. I’ve been tempted by the Devil even more than when she was with me. As I go out into the world trying to bring others to God I’ve found a lot of Christians, more in young people than adults. I got a lot of different replies from adults. One said she thought Heaven and the Bible are just a fantasy. I told her the Bible is the truth and Jesus and God exists. She thought all she had to do is be a good person and she would be alright. It’s sad that people feel that way. I pray that she woke up and found God, that my talking to her done good. Leonard
Yes, Leonard, it is sad when people don’t accept the truth of God’s Word. Often when they see us walk through troubles in our lives, like the loss of a loved one or other trials, with peace and confidence in the Lord, it helps to lend credibility to our words. They want to see the reality of what you’re saying lived out in everyday life.