Tag: don't give up

Doing ministry is serving on a battlefield, constantly at war, but we must not give up because our work is not in vain.

The Spiritual Battlefield

Ministry is a battlefield. It’s the battlefield of eternal life over eternal separation from God. We get up every day to fight the good fight. Even when your ministry is flourishing and growing, there are constant battles to be fought. The dangers we face every day may not be what a soldier faces on a battlefield, but anyone in ministry would agree that there are times they feel like their place of ministry is certainly a battlefield.

No matter your ministry position, denomination affiliation, leadership capabilities, level of education or years serving in your calling, there is a spiritual battlefield that is constantly at war. We might not be able to see the battle, but we can sure feel it and the battle going on in the spiritual realm is indeed fierce. So much so that there may be times where we feel like our armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) has taken some real damage.

When We’ve Given Our All on the Ministry Battlefield

We read in Ephesians 6:11 and 13 that we are to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand firm. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul writes, “Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” However, sometimes we find that our “standing firm” feels more like standing on tired, wobbly legs, weak from fighting. We’re worn down. We’ve given our all. And all that’s left to fall on our knees before God and weep in exhaustion.

In these moments, we might find ourselves in a place of questioning God’s call to ministry. Did we hear God right? If this ministry is truly what God has called me to do, then why is it so hard and why isn’t God blessing it? At a time when I found myself asking these very questions, I heard the soft whisper of the Holy Spirit say, “Don’t give up in doing good. You will reap at the proper time, if you don’t give up. The more I am at work in you, the harder Satan fights. Stand firm. I am greater in you than he that is in the world.” It was the whisper I needed to keep pressing forward toward the goal. But it doesn’t make the battle any easier…if anything, it becomes harder as Satan fights back even more.

The Earthly Battlefield

As if the spiritual battlefield wasn’t hard enough, there is also an earthly, human battlefield that Satan uses in his arsenal against us. Since those of us in ministry are imperfect people and those whom we minister to are imperfect people, we can find ourselves on a battlefield made up of human problems, such as differences of opinion, selfishness, anger, and well…sin of all kinds.

This earthly battlefield manifests as those moments where the church members argue over which side of the stage the piano belongs on or if there should or should not be a pulpit on the stage. It’s the arguments over the color of the carpet or if it’s okay for the preacher to preach from his iPad rather than a Bible in his hand. It’s those moments where you look around at the squabbles, tired of mediating, and wonder how church ever got to be about these things instead of saving souls from an eternity in hell.

Added to this there is the growing concern of mass shootings within the walls of churches and the questions begin to rise of how to protect the congregation. Should we be concerned about public ministry events at parks or stadiums? Should we be afraid of prayer walking the community where we serve? How do we reach the lost world and still protect the people in our churches? And now we must add the questions of how to keep people safe from the COVID pandemic that has forced all of us to find new ways to do ministry differently.

The Battlefield of Flesh

Another type of battlefield arises as we try to make sure we protect ourselves, our families, and our ministry from even the appearance of evil. It’s the battlefield of flesh as we avoid the temptations of sin, pride, selfishness, anger, hurt feelings, and desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Two sides opposing each other: Spirit and flesh. It’s a battlefield.

The Battlefield of Pride

Another aspect of ministry is that we are always on display and are in danger on the battlefield of pride. When our ministry is flourishing, we must be careful that pride doesn’t slip in and we begin to lose sight that the growing ministry we are apart of is God at work through us and that we’ve done absolutely nothing. We have not earned any rights to pats on the back or High-fives. God should always receive all the glory and praise for what He accomplishes through us.

The Battlefield of pointing fingers

Another battlefield of flesh is the battlefield or pointing fingers. Because we are always on display, there are always the ones watching and waiting for us to mess up so they can point their fingers. They are the people who know us well and wag their finger saying, “How could God ever use you? He didn’t really call you. You’re just a ‘dreamer’.” They are people of the world who attempt to prove there is no God. They are people Satan uses to hurl accusations, whether true or not, to discredit our ministry.

Satan loves nothing more than to see a minister of God (whether that is a pastor, missionary, Christian Counselor, or someone in a ministry organization) fail or give up or walk away because of the pointing, accusing finger. It’s one of his best flaming arrows! It doesn’t even matter if the pointing finger of accusation is verified, or all lies. It doesn’t have to hit the target. Once the finger is pointed, damage has been done. Credibility is loss. Effectiveness diminished. Pride creeps in and we become discouraged, hurt, and ready to quit.

A Silent Battlefield

Then there is the silent battlefield of dangers that lurk about in the dark waiting to sneak up, kill and destroy those in ministry. These dangers include health issues, burnout, compassion fatigue, and stress. As a result, pastors, missionaries, and others in ministry professions walk away from the calling.

Instead of standing firm, steadfast, immovable and always excelling, they call it quits and leave the task of ministering for someone else to do. Sometimes they quit, but find a different way to minister. If they decide to stay in their ministry field, they no longer have the passion and zeal to serve. Ministry becomes a “have to” rather than an opportunity to serve our God. They risk facing depression, lack of motivation, and anxiety. Their relationships decline and many physical symptoms begin to emerge.

Don’t Give Up

With so fierce a battlefield, is it any wonder that people who give their all to the ministry God has called them often face the engulfing flames of burnout? But Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9 that we are to not grow weary in doing good. Why? Because at the proper time, we will reap if we don’t give up. What do we reap? Lost souls for the kingdom of God. Seeing Christians mature and discover their calling and then take their place on the battlefield for the Kingdom of God. Relationships restored. Prodigals coming home. Helping another ministry partner stay in their calling. Repentant hearts returning to God. Revival that changes our communities, nation, and the world.

Dear ministry partner, allow me to pray Paul’s words of encouragement over you today. Whether your just stepping onto the battlefield of ministry for the first time today and you’re excited and can’t wait to see how God is going to use you or you’ve been on the battlefield for years and your tired, weary, worn out wondering how to take that next step remember that you are vital to the kingdom of God. You are needed. God has uniquely gifted you and created you for the exact calling He has given you. No one else can do what you’ve been called to do exactly like you can. Don’t get tired of doing good for you will reap at the proper time if you do not give up. You are needed on the battlefield where you are.

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Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.

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The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

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