I
read a quote recently that went something like, “If you haven’t found the place
where ministry is fun, then do yourself and all those around you a favor, quit
now.” Well, a few years ago I would have glared at such statement with resentment just for thinking that
ministry could be fun! I was so conditioned to ‘the price of the ministry’,
that I would have defended my grim conduct, and even found some scriptures to
defend my gloom! How far from the truth this is.
Jesus
said that we should take His yoke,
which is easy, and His burden, which is light! (Matthew 11:30).
Some Christians are so burdened by the ministry that you don’t really want to
be around them, because you feel guilty you aren’t more ‘burdened’ by a love for
the lost, or desire to plant more churches or even the quest to grow our
membership.
If
we Preach freedom but live lives of burden and somberness, that’s just
hypocrisy.... Pure hypocrisy.
My
life has its fair share of pressures, trials, suffering, persecutions, and the
like. But when you are in a joyful frame of mind about ministry, it’s so much
easier to tackle the challenges that ministry will throw at you. “The
joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:10 "Nehemiah said, Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send
some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not
grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your
strength"). Jesus was “full
of joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Luke
10:21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said,
"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden
these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.) and I believe His
leaders and ministers have every opportunity to live and minister from a place
of overflowing joy.
We
don’t know exactly what Paul meant when he said he wanted to “share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings” (Philippians
3:10), but I asked the Lord, and I felt He said to me that those
sufferings are the sufferings you didn’t cause, but that come as a by-product
of following Him: Persecution, Trials, ‘Sheep Bites’, and the like. We can get
through these sorts of sufferings best with a disposition of JOY.
If
we preach freedom but live lives of burden and somberness, that’s just hypocrisy.
I have always been an overly responsible and disciplined person. Unfortunately,
these admirable traits don’t always translate into overflowing fun! I think
many leaders suffer from this. They know in theory that Jesus is building His Church,
but they allow the pressure,
responsibilities and even godly zeal, to rob them of their childlike joy in
the ministry.
These
days I look forward to general meetings, leadership retreats, Young Rescuers
Training, and all the many other aspects of church ministry. There is a joy in
my heart and a spring in my step.
If
Jesus is really building His Church, like He said He would, then even when I am
sleeping, the job is being done. Even when i am weak and tired, the work
continues, then I don’t need to be weighed down by all these burdens, because
His yoke is easy (Greek: chrestos – useful, good, manageable, pleasant, kind)
and His burden is light (Greek: elaphros – light in weight, quick, agile).
God
Bless Us.
Title : HIS YOKE IS EASY AND HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT
Description : I read a quote recently that went something like, “If you haven’t found the place where ministry is fun, then do yourself and all...