The Truth about Ministry

“One day we need to have a transparent discussion,” my friend Cynthia said, “concerning the truth about a life in ministry.”

After my ministry friend made the statement at our meeting, I thought about it all the way home.

If I were sharing the truth about ministry with those aspiring to follow that path, what would I say? What is true for me, that is probably true for others?

Here are my thoughts.

We are called into full-time ministry. Through a series of events, God made it very clear to me, and my husband, that he placed a divine call on my life to leave the secular workplace and attend seminary. Knowing it was a call was the only way I could get through the laborious requirements of a theological Master’s program in my 40’s. At our orientation, the Dean of the school compared our journey to Moses’ call. After the LORD commanded Moses to set the Israelite captives free from slavery in Egypt, he led the aging sheepherder every step of the way, whether in Egypt, or in 40 years in the wilderness.  I found that to be true. Over a year ago, I thought I was supposed to leave ministry, but then the Holy Spirit directed me to this verse in Romans 11:29: “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” No matter what the circumstances are, God is sovereign, and his call has a lifetime warranty. There is no escaping it.

A life in ministry is rarely financially lucrative. We women’s ministry leaders all desire to have grand, impactful outreaches like Beth Moore’s or Priscilla Shirer’s, but most ministries will never reach that status. Ministry leaders will tell you, “We don’t do it for the money.” Pearls of Promise is a negative cash flow operation. We give away far more than we receive financially, but God provides in other ways. I will admit there are times when I miss my old paycheck. Instead of thousands, if I make a couple hundred for a speaking engagement, I am excited. Receiving a small honorarium does make you feel like what you have to say has some value, but the money generally goes back into expenses. The people hiring you to speak are also ministries with a tight budget, so there are rarely large cash reserves to pay speakers. If you are not traditionally published, it costs money to produce books. It is my heart to use the books to help women overcome their dysfunctional past, and to hopefully recoup the initial investment in producing them.

Even though Jesus was the Son of God, and had all riches at his disposal, his life on Earth was humble. When a man told Jesus he would follow him wherever he went, Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:57-58). Jesus was saying that following him requires sacrifice, most times financially.

It’s lonely on the mountain. My call to ministry has been similar to Moses’ path so I will keep with that theme. God placed Moses in a position to be a leader over the Israelites, but being the head honcho generally does not mean you will have a crowd of best buddies surrounding you everywhere you go. Even Moses’ own sister and brother turned on him while he was getting up close and personal with God on Mount Sinai.

When he returned from the mountain, Aaron had organized an idol building party, and swapped out the one true God for a golden calf. Later in Numbers 12, Moses’ kin became jealous of his divine-given authority, and began talking behind his back.  As a ministry leader, you will most likely face jealousy, because to accomplish what God has called you to do, requires his strength. Mirium’s envy of her brother resulted in a seven-day date with leprosy. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said the controversial words, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-27). I don’t think Jesus was saying we need to hate our family members, but when we choose to follow him, or in a minister’s case, we are called to follow him, family cannot be an idol. Jesus must be first in our life.

Many of my friends have fallen off over the years since my initial call to ministry. I don’t think they understand my obsession with Jesus, so sometimes being sold out to God can get lonely. The all-day shopping invitations from friends don’t come anymore. Spa days are few and far between. Even lunch invitations have diminished. Hanging out with the “church lady” can be scary. However, God provides support through other friends who have answered similar calls, and who also walk 24-7 with the one who healed the lame, raised the dead and calmed the sea.

Ministry is rewarding and never dull. I often ask myself, “Am I really making a difference?” Whenever I start to wonder if what I am doing is impactful, God will bring someone along to encourage me, whether it’s the young woman in my Bible study who overcame insecurity through help from our book, the person who tells me they love the messages in these blogs, or the woman who comes up after an event and tells me, “I felt like you were speaking directly to me.” That’s the type of thing that keeps us ministry leaders going. It is exciting to be led by God. When, like Isaiah we say, “Here am I. Send me,” the pace can be dizzying. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few…” (Luke 10:2).

When someone is ready and willing to work for the Lord, I believe he puts them on the fast track to management. But in order to make sure you are working in the right departments, you have to listen for the Father’s clear direction. That’s the way Jesus went about his job. He said, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing…” (John 5:19).

The Father has spoken the word “conference” into my head. I really did not want to put on a conference. It is a lot of work, but obediently, I am planning a “Rejuvenate U” women’s conference for October 10, 2015. He has led me through the books I’ve written, to a possible radio show, and in 2016, to co-lead a tour to Israel. Ministry is never dull! When you look at the lives of all those who followed God or Jesus in the Bible, they embarked on quite the adventure, both good and bad.

So there is the truth about ministry from my perspective. On the outside it may look glamorous, but in reality, it is a humble, sacrificial way of life, giving up the things of the world in order to proclaim the kingdom. In the world’s economy, money and position determine status. In God’s economy, he asks, “How well are you loving my people?” “How many have you led to a saving knowledge of Christ?” And when we answer those questions in a positive way, there are eternal riches and joy beyond measure.