Jesus’ Church in many parts of the world is growing at an astonishing speed. Perhaps the greatest challenge she faces is the shortage of spiritual workers. One leader noted,
"In our context, many leaders give up because of discouragement. An even greater number remain in ministry, but are no longer growing. They have reached a point of spiritual stagnation. Unfortunately, there are also those who fall into sin and bring shame to the name of Christ."
This is not a new problem. Even in the first century, Paul wrote Timothy, "All [my spiritual co-workers] who are in Asia turned away from me" (2 Timothy 1:15).
We who lead God’s people would do well to ask ourselves, "How will I finish my ministry?" The answer to that question is connected to my current obedience to a well known verse from Proverbs, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. In the next three postings I’ll suggest three areas of life where it is important that we "guard our hearts."
1. Do I live and serve with the goal of bringing glory to God?
Why am I serving as a spiritual leader? If I’m doing it to please people or so that people will praise me as a good person, then I’m walking on shaky ground. If that’s my motivation for serving, then when ministry goes well, I will think well of myself – "I must be doing pretty well as a spiritual leader." That makes me vulnerable to the temptation to pride, and the temptation to be critical of others. If my work as a spiritual leader is not going well, I’ll end up vulnerable to discouragement and depression and be tempted to become angry at those I’m leading for their "disobedience to God."
The only proper motivation for leading the people of God is that of pleasing God, of working to see his name "hallowed." When I live and work with this as my goal, everything else finds its proper place. My desire to bring glory and praise to God serves as an anchor in the life of a spiritual worker and makes possible faithful, perseverant, lifelong service for God.
Why are you serving God? Repentance over false motives in ministry is one way we can "guard our hearts."
