Ministry Is Tough

My dad always said, "Ministry would be really easy if it wasn't for the people." I've only been doing this for five years but something I've learned is the thing that will discourage you the fastest is people. The average life span of a student minister is three years and the leading cause of fall out is burn out. I realize "burn out" can be related to many things, especially with the challenges student ministry faces today, but the majority of hurt comes from people. This week has been one of those that makes you questions, "Why am I doing this?" It is impossible to please every single person that walks in the doors of the church and it is vital to ministry that you stand firm in your convictions. But when your convictions seem to be unpopular, you start to doubt them.

I am determined to have a quality based ministry and not a quantity one. Jesus seemed to know something about quantity when He said this is Luke 13. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from." When quantity becomes our objective we fill our pews with people who will knock on the door but will not be let in. The pressure to be about quantity is constantly overwhelming, especially when people start to leave.

This weekend I've found myself questioning this calling and these convictions. In fact as I started to write this post the fire was fueled, but I can't help but think back to my first church. Early on in that ministry my convictions were not popular and I felt the pain of loosing numbers. But when I left six months ago after four short years of ministry the quality was there. I only had a handful of students when I left but they were true Jesus followers.

My post tonight is a reminder to me. It's not about me. God has longterm plans for the ministry He has called me to. The pleasure of the Father trumps man's. Popularity is common. Moses wasn't always popular Exodus 17:1-4. David wasn't always popular 1 Samuel 18:6-9. Elijah wasn't always popular 1 Kings 18:22. Jesus wasn't always popular Matthew 13:57.