the    sides

Had that told to me a few days ago by a friend in ministry. He was contemplating whether or not it was time to “get out.” For a few minutes I thought I was looking in the mirror circa 2005/2006. I just listened to him. This time was for him to vent and work some things out aloud. Meanwhile, I started “working things out” inside my head.

I never said any of this to him. I don’t know why. Part of me wishes I did, part me is glad I didn’t. Some of it he’ll have to figure out on his own, just like the rest of us did.

I think the best thing that can happen to a pastor is to have the “fun” destroyed for a season. I know you can’t live there forever. And I’m not talking about “fun” in the sense of “Disneyworld” or EASY. Ministry is work but it’s also ….fun. Maybe a better word is joy….although that may not exactly be right either. (See, I’m still trying to work it out.)

I guess what I’m trying to say is this - if you can keep your head, perform your job, minister to others in a context where there is no positive reinforcement, where your motives are questioned, where you are constantly misunderstood…where it feels like you are walking through 3 feet of mud, where it takes twice the work to get half the results, where small-minded people insult you and you treat them with dignity anyway…if you can still do the work of God in that place…praise God. Because humanly, it’s not possible.

The only way that happens if you come to the end of yourself and you’ve truly been consumed by serving the Kingdom. And that’s the Spirit at work. It’s not the “kum-by-ah” moment, it’s the sweaty, exhausted moment. And isn’t that how the Spirit tends to work anyway?

The joy returns. It may still be hard and thankless…but there’s value in plowing through the dry, hard, empty, “funless” time.

Keep plowing…you’re loved and not alone.