This is part one in a series of post to come over the next few days. I have been reflecting a lot lately on my ministry. Three years ago about this time I had been a church planter for only a few weeks. I wrote a few words on how I had hoped my ministry would turn out. Needless to say things went a differing direction than what I had expected. It went exactly as God wanted it to, in part to shape my view of ministry.
Bobby Capps (@bobbycapps on twitter) a friend of mine gave me the wise words that my ministry is not mine. I knew that but I still need to hear it because honestly I didn’t really believe it. I gave lip service to that for three years. I didn’t really believe it in how I thought. In large part it was about me. It isn’t ever suppose to be about me. That is how we should view our ministry. It is not mine. That is how we should think of our ministry. Tell yourself that when you plan. Tell yourself that when you dream. Tell yourself that when you fail. Tell yourself that when you succeed. Paul once said “I am crucified with Christ. It is not i who lives but Christ in me.”
There is an I in Christ but it isn’t referring to you or me. That I is part of the Great I AM. That I is God himself. There simply is not room for anyone else. God gets the glory for himself. If you want the spotlight go into show business, politics, or something else but get out of ministry. Take Paul’s words and put the flesh on them. Incarnate those into your ministry. That is what i am learning to do. It is not easy. That is what i must do. Think of yourself in the lowercase. Learn to walk humbly before your God. Let him be one the one that gets all the fame.
Think not overly on your success but be ready to admit your failure. Success can easily breed a arrogant prideful attitude. Failure can breed humility because it humbles you. To be sure over emphasis can occur but if we are wise it would be prudent to chalk up more to failure more than to success. Let God alone be your source of pride. Let Jesus magnified be your barometer of success. John Calvin summing up his ministry said the following.
I have had many infirmities, which you have been obliged to bear with, and what is more, all I have done is worthless. The ungodly will seize on that, but I repeat that all that I have done has been worthless and that I am a miserable creature. But certainly I may say this: that I have meant for the best, that my vices have always displeased me, and that the root of the fear of the Lord has always been in my heart. You may say “he meant well” and I pray that my evil may be forgiven and that if there was anything good you may confirm yourselves by it and have it as an example. (In Calvin a Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, & Doxology, 13-14).
Calvin didn’t view his ministry as anything to magnify. If God wishes to magnify it he will. Strive to leave something good but allow God to be the judge. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” It is easy to poison your own well with worldly ambition. Jesus said “love not the things of the world.” Ambition is a neutral thing in and of itself. We must remember that we sojourn in a culture that feeds off celebrity status. We are preprogrammed to think of ourselves first. We may even say we are giving Christ the spotlight but trying to put i in the spotlight. In your ministry you are just a hired hand. Live and work for One. Remember you are not the One. If you think you are Neo try walking up a wall or do something that you can’t do to remind yourself of that fact. Strive to leave your ego out of your ministry. Some of you like me will have to take up a cross to do it. Ask God if he will be merciful and drive the nail to kill worldly ambition and to show you where that hydra pops up its deadly head. Remember Christ is the only one that can crush the serpents head (Genesis 3:15-16).
If your heart for ministry isn’t right before God, it will fail. Trust me. That failure may be a good thing for you but you don’t want to go through it unless you have to do so. Trust me. I can’t remember who said this first but the following line sums it up well. Self-promotion & servanthood don’t mix. Real servants don’t serve for the approval or applause of others. They live for an audience of One.
It is time for some honest reflection. Ask yourself again, “How should I and how do I view my ministry.” Ask God to show you. He will.
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Will, good post. Very real. Where is the line drawn between Godly vs. worldly vs. self-ambition? I worked with an international ministry leader who had all the outward makings of having Godly ambitions but he also had the telltale signs of a classic narcissist. I know it seems like it’s off topic, but it really isn’t.
Or take a William Carey the father of modern missions. “I can plod” was his theme and he did, but at great expense to his family (wife went insane as I recall while he was doing things for God). What kind of ambition led him to translate the Bible in several languages (while neglecting his family at home)? Outwardly one would think Godly ambition, or was it selfish ambition?
Dave
Thanks for commenting Dave! It isn’t off topic at all. I am going to give a quick response but my next post baring baby arrival will be on humility. Part 2. Self-ambition is a subtle form of worldliness. It is self-centered instead of Christ centered. It will talk of God, do much for God even in his name, yet ultimately it was for self. Now God will use it (Romans 8:38) but does not desire it. I think Carey’s plodding was sinful. His first mission field was his family. He sinned. He missed the mark (harmatia) on “ruling his family well.”
The key is humility. I’m still fleshing that one out.
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