9 Reasons Ministry is Not So Hard

I’ve previously written about why pastoral ministry is more difficult these days. Maybe, in fact, you had a tough day yesterday at your church. If so, I want to use this post to remind us why ministry is not as hard as it seems sometimes. I pray this post encourages you.

1. God has called you to this work. If God has called you, He will guide you. We know He will not leave us or forsake us, regardless of what we face (Heb. 13:5).
2. The Spirit of God lives in you. That’s a miracle, actually, that we often take for granted. When God Himself resides in us (Rom. 8:9), our work becomes doable. 
3. The Word of God is powerful. In fact, it drives Satan away (Matt. 4:1-11), and it does not return void (Isa. 55:11). When we teach that Word, we have much less reason to be stressed about our work.
4. God will accomplish His plan. We know from Revelation 7:9 that God will indeed have people from every tribe, nation, and tongue worshiping Him around His throne. We can do ministry in that confidence.
5. Somebody is standing with you. Ministry can be lonely, but I’ve never seen a situation where the ministry leader is the only person standing for God. The numbers may be few (perhaps only the leader and a spouse), but somebody’s walking beside you.
6. It’s okay to still be learning. As long as God is still conforming us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29), we are in the learning process. That means we’re always learning how to follow Him, be like Him, and serve Him. When we give ourselves permission to be learners (and thus to work through our mistakes without excessive guilt), ministry is easier. 
7. God mandated that we get rest. I’m the first to admit that I don’t always get the rest I need, but our bodies and hearts are rejuvenated when we do what God requires us to do. It’s amazing how rest will change your perspective.
8. We can talk to our Creator. Not only can we speak to Him, but we can trust that He hears us when our hearts are broken. When we have an ongoing conversation with God, everything seems less complicated.
9. God uses the hard times to make us what He wants us to be. Ministry can indeed be hard, but God works through those times for His glory and our good. Keep that truth in mind, and enduring the stress of ministry becomes a statement of faith.

What do you think? What other reasons might you add?