When ministry gets hard, it can be easy to lose heart—to think you are doing something wrong or that you are failing in some way. When pressures for results rise, when relationships are strained, or numbers are down, you may think, “This isn’t what I signed up for. It’s too hard. It’s not worth it.” When challenging moments come—and they will come—I want to challenge you to change your thinking about what lies beneath the surface of your circumstances.
Friends, here’s a dose of truth that a lot of us need to hear and heed today. We should EXPECT ministry to be hard. Sometimes, excruciatingly so, even to the point where you may be tempted to give it up, shake the dust off your feet, and just walk away. To the new and naïve, the notion that working for God would be wrought with difficulty seems counterintuitive. We intrinsically want to believe that if we are doing good things and working on God-things, we should be flooded with His favor and bathed in His blessings. We assume that doing work that pleases God should be easy. However, there is a larger reality that ministry takes place in the midst of an invisible spiritual war that’s happening in the heavenlies over the souls of the kids and students in our ministries.
In ministry, difficulty should be EXPECTED, but don’t let this truth throw you.
We are told it will be hard. Peter tells us we have an enemy.
“Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you.” —1 Peter 5:8-10
The enemy wants to cause havoc in your church and in your life. He will try to distract, disrupt, divide, discourage, and destroy. And you are not the only one!
In chapter 4 of 1 Peter, the apostle writes, “…don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you as if something unusual were happening to you.” —1 Peter 4:12
James encourages us to “consider it pure joy…when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2-3, emphasis mine). Not IF—WHEN. Trials will come.
Paul has more encouragement for us in these seasons: “…do not lose heart. For our momentary and light troubles are achieving an eternal glory that FAR outweighs them.” —2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (emphasis mine)
Many of us are familiar with the “parts” of the armor of God, but it can be easy to overlook the “purpose” of that armor. Paul connects it directly to withstanding attacks from the enemy.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil spiritual forces in the heavens.” —Ephesians 6:11-12
If you are in a hard season, hang on, stand firm, and stay the course. In fact, difficulty could be a sign that you are doing something right.
Fun Friday: Back-to-School Scripture Fighting Cards
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