The more involved you become in church leadership and
ministry, the greater the temptation is to lead by your own gifts and abilities
rather than out of intimacy with Jesus Christ. A daily relationship with Jesus
is the key to freshness in ministry and an ability to impart life to people,
rather than just run programs or meetings.
Let’s be honest, any ministry without the active presence
and power of God has no hope of bringing change to people’s lives.
Ps 127:1. Unless the LORD builds a house, the work
of the builders is useless. NLT
John 15:1-8. "I am the true vine, and my Father
is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more
fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it
must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not
remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me
and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This
is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
disciples. NIV
Our skills, talents and excellence can never substitute for
that evident anointing that comes from a life lived in intimacy with God.
Also, there is no way we will withstand the onslaught of the enemy’s attack
without a powerful prayer life (Eph.6:10-18). When ministries don’t make it over the long haul (burnout), it often has to do with an unbalanced lifestyle as well as a neglect of our relationship with God. A healthy prayer life helps you deal with the internal and external stresses of ministry life.
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could
ask, think or imagine (Eph.3:20). Through prayer we position ourselves to
receive his vision for our ministry. A quickened word from God creates faith
for the future. Pray and believe for great things.
Putting Legs on It:
* Bathe everything you do and every area of your
ministry in prayer. Pray for yourself, your team and the ministry.
* See God as the leader of your ministry and
yourself as his assistant. See yourself as a steward or manager of his ministry.
* Regularly take time aside and ask God what he
thinks about the ministry – its strengths, weaknesses and future potential.
* Remember that faith pleases God. Faith comes
from focusing on God while fear comes from focusing on our circumstances or
ourselves.
* Ask God for great things – miracles and
supernatural things beyond your own ability.
* Discover your abiding style (contemplative,
intellectual, relational, serving and charismatic), lean in to it and balance
it too.
A Quick Check Up:
Ask yourself these questions:
1. How good of a follower am I?
2. How well am I leading?
3. How well am I managing my ministry?
4. How well am I building my team?
5. Am I taking time to innovate?
6. How much am I growing?
7. What is the quality of my prayer life right now?
Leaders – we are the key!