The Ministry Will Kill You
Thought I would share some interesting statistics:
· Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.
· Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
· Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
· Eighty-five percent of pastors said their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people, such as disgruntled elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors. Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people.
· Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
· Eighty percent of pastor’ wives feel left out and unappreciated by the church members.
· Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
· Eighty percent of pastors’ wives feel pressured to do things and be something in the church that they are really not.
I first heard these statistics as Josh and I listened to the Resurgance conference poscasts. My heart seemed to sink more and more as he read off these particular quotes. It kind of left me thinking is there any hope? Is there any way through? I know of several ministers just within my short life time that have been forced to leave their ministry due to poor decisions within their ministry. I’ve heard of pastors running off with the wives of their members, and ministers sleeping with youth. There are so many and it seems to be dropping like flies.
Darrin Patrick was speaking on these statistics and made the statement that the ministry will kill you. He goes on to say that anyone trying to do the ministry within their own power will fail, miserably. The ministry shouldn’t be seen as something as a slack off job, or something to throw together with what comes to mind, its a call, and its a hard calling. One of the hardest things that Josh and I have had to balance is the minstry and home, the ministry and marriage. There is nothing easy about it. But we have hundereds, maybe even thousands flocking to the nearest seminary or the nearest Bible college to learn something for a momentary time, and then spend the rest of the lives tellling people their own opinion instead of what God’s Word says, and they end up being a joke of a minister.
Ministry can not be done by a man. God’s work can not be done individually with the intent of bringing honor and glory to yourself. God has to be it. He has to be the center, of your ministry, of your marriage, or your life. Nothing can be done in your own strength, but all of it in his. Maybe then we would have more a ground to stand one when we are behind the podiums and platforms of our churches, maybe then God will begin to move mightly. When the men he have chosen step down and allow Him to step up.
A Deadly Poison
J
ames 3:1-12This past weekend I taught our girls ministry about the tongue (You can listen on my audio page). As in any ministry, and as in any church the tongue is one of the issues that seems to cause so much hurt and pain. We dug into James chapter 3 where James is addressing the church of Jerusalem and their attitudes toward each other and toward God.
It was a rather difficult lesson to teach as I myself am so much at fault for much of what I was speaking on. As I went on, I just became more and more burdened as I looked into the eyes of our girls. The hurt that they have felt because of another not being able to bridle their tongue. The division within a small group of 40 girls because of pride and arrogance.
Tears filled the room as I read an account of a young boys life named Ryan Halligan. This young boy took his life after struggeling with depression. His main fuel: the degrading comments of fellow classmates at his local middle school. Bullying, being called a loser.
How powerful our words are! We walk around as James says with our tongues being fire, and igniting people on fire, and we watch them burn. We watch them painfully walk away or stare deep into their eyes and see the tears, and we do nothing but pat ourselves onthe back for accomplishing our task of letting them know whose got it under control. We let them know who is superior, and we watch them die.
I don’t know how many times I hear about women and men causing problems in the church. They think that it is their for when they need something, or as long as everyone likes them, but if something goes wrong they have the right to express their opinion. Bull! At the expense of expressing ones opinion you see brothers and sisters in Christ burned. When on earth did we get the idea that the church is for us? That it is about us?
“With the same tongue we use to bless our Lord and Father, we use to curse man.”
God help us to shut up! Help us to use our tongues to bless and encourage our brothers and sisters. Help us to stop walking out of our churches after we sing Mighty is Our God and Holy Holy Holy, and then turn and gripe and complain and rip apart people in our family. God help us!
Family
A
cts 2: 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers. 43 Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. 46 And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added those being saved to them.
Has anyone felt as if church is leaving the true purpose of church? I dont’ know why, but it seems as the more I study and the more classes I take in religion and Bible, I find more and more how we are sacrificing our churches on so many different alters. The alter of knowledge and arrogance, or the alter of seeker friendliness, or the alter of prejudice and pride.
I took a look back at the start of the church in Acts 2. So many times to be honest, I walk through the doors wanting earnestly to learn and be motivated, and instead I feel beat down and shallow. Is it really a place to come just as you are? Bitter, angry, hurt, abused, lonely…come as you are. I find that the more someone comes just as they are, the more people are repelled or distanced instead of loved and embraced. Barriers are put around each and every person and you have members that are too prideful to say I’m sorry, too prideful to point out their own faults but instead attack others.
These people were daily together, daily meeting each others needs, selling everything they had so that their brother or sister can feel the love of Jesus. It wasn’t how the music was down, or the way the pastor taught, it was the congregation being honest and truthful. Not pretending that they are some holier than thou, but people coming one on one, struggeling with sin, struggeling with trials, and willing to be broken, willing to confess. It was a family, a family of brothers and sisters, different, yet united.
