Longevity in Ministry ~ Hoping to resume an abandoned but not forgotten study

Last summer, I began a series that has certainly been challenging and searching for me.

Then life happened: a transitioning college student, four high schoolers with their crazy schedules and homework load, working at a local pregnancy resource center, volunteering at a wildlife rehab clinic with a few of my children and teaching English as a second language (ESL)… I managed to keep up with all of that and blogging… Then hubby traveled for a couple of months and I enrolled in an online course to get my ESL certification.

Something had to give and that something ended up being blogging. I’ve missed writing and I’ve been wanting to finish up the final posts scheduled for this series. 

Since it has been so long, however, I decided to do a “recap” first and summarize some of the key points from each post to date. Clearly, this will help me as I look at finishing the series. But hopefully, it will also summarize what I’ve shared so far and pique your interest for the final two to three posts remaining. 

A sermon preached by the senior pastor at my sending church provoked this series. My notes start with these words: 

"Like longevity in life, some basic things are needed - 

right genes [to be a child of God], right diet [God's Word], 

right exercise [involvement in ministry] 

and right environment [a place in God's community - the Church]. 

The Apostle Paul set it as his goal to walk worthy and finish well. So should we!"

Yet what does the practical outworking of this look like in real life - not just a paragraph of pretty words in a complex simile?

Using my sermon notes and through further study, I’ve identified seven essential priorities that help protect those in ministry, particularly cross-cultural ministry, from burnout and the temptation to sin... ones that direct and give hope for the future... ones that remind that all is grace and a gift from God.

Those priorities are (the last three are the ones we’ll be looking at over the summer):

1. Continuously and consistently seeking the Lord - It is so obvious, so simple - to increasingly grow in intimacy with God, we must walk with Him. It must become a habit in both senses of the word - a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up, as well as my regular dress or attire (thing of a nun’s habit).

2. Praying without ceasing - steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully - Satan has blinded God's people so that prayer is trivialized and less important than some other priorities. We forget the truth that the Spirit laid upon the heart of Oswald Chambers and which he later penned: "...prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."

3. Balancing personal growth, rest and ministry - We must minister to our family, our neighbors, our community, within our official ministries... and at the same time allow God and others to minister to us. Sometimes that means accepting help…

4. Welcoming accountability - Accountability means submitting to, as an obligation and with personal willingness, the responsibility to report and to explain one's words, actions, plans, etc. Accountability-done-right works because it gives hope, and “hope is the only thing stronger than fear” (President Snow, in The Hunger Games).

5. Committing to marriage and family;

6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and

7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Underlying the practice of EACH the above priorities are two truths: 1) we can trust God, not only because He is sovereign - but because He is sufficient in that sovereignty, and 2) Our obedience has to be the grace based obedience of trusting faith - we work out what God is working in.

My pastor shared an illustration that I found very helpful when it comes to looking at the sovereignty of God. He'd heard it, I believe, from one of his Bible teachers. 

As men and women with limited perspective and a very finite view, we look at a crazy oxymoron where God says He is divine and yet, that we are responsible. His Word teaches both. It doesn't make sense, no matter how hard we try.

But that is because we can only see as if we are the standing at the open side of an enormous horseshoe, so enormous that we cannot see the U-shaped part of the horseshoe. Human responsibility is on one of the separate ends; divine sovereignty at the other. Our perception, and rightly so if we lived our lives based only on what we see, is that those two are separated by a wide space... irreconcilable... and made of material that bends or changes shape only under great pressure or heat.

There is great danger if we decide that because we can't see how they meet, they can't... that one or the other is more true... should take more priority... than the other and therefore we can discount the other. Those who believe the whole is God's divine sovereignty risk an extreme fatalism. Those who believe the whole is human responsibility risk extreme humanism. Neither extreme pleases or honors God.

God, however, looks at that horseshoe from above. He looks down and sees the whole and how those two principles fusing together and forming a single amazing, protecting, correcting, steadying and sustaining, healing and building reality. 

Those truths - God is sovereign and man is responsible - are so important... so necessary, as we consider this issue of longevity. 

How does a horseshoe serve a horse?

• It protects from bruising and extensive wear, 
• It corrects or improves performance/presentation issues (i.e. stride length, overreaching, etc.), 
• It helps steady draft or trail horses by maintaining or providing traction as they work, 
• It is therapeutic, aiding in recovery from injury or while building strength. 

Put simply, people use them because horseshoes extend the longevity of the horse.

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I’ve tried to summarize what I’ve shared so far. But I’ve also included the links below for any who would like to follow up by reading the actual post. I’m looking forward to finishing up with this series…. and for what I’m sure God still has to teach me through this study.

Series: Longevity in Ministry

• Just Think About a Horseshoe (26 July2014)
• Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God (9 August 2014)
• If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide (23 August 2014)
• The essentials? Or merely superfluous? (13 September 2014)
• Habituate yourself? (27 September 2014)
• One Priority that can Never be in Excess (11 October 2014)
• Of rest and rescue (23 October 2014)
• Dare to Disclose (8 November 2014)
• “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear” (27 November 2014)

horseshoe photo credit: w0LD via photopin cc

all other photos are mine

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry ~ "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear" ~

A few months back I began a series that has certainly been challenging and thought- provoking for me. I hope God is also using it in your life. The information discussed comes from a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. My notes start with these words: "Like longevity in life, some basic things are needed - right genes, right diet, right exercise, and right environment." Can you see the spiritual parallels? Examining how these principles apply to longevity in ministry on the mission field is forcing me to evaluate whether or not I've been building into my daily life the right sorts of habits and practices to facilitate such longevity. Key is an understanding that God is sovereign and that He is also sufficient.

But what does the practical outworking of those beliefs look like?

I've identified seven essential priorities that help protect from burnout and the temptation to sin... ones that direct and give hope for the future... ones that remind that all is grace and a gift from God.

Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Last time I wrote, I made the statement that, perhaps, accountability is the most difficult one of all. Those who have conversed with me regarding that statement definitely agree that it is a challenge. 

I've been considering two questions:

1. Is accountability to our faith brothers and sisters a biblical idea - or is it a tradition of men (the type of behavior for which the Pharisees were so consistently rebuked by Jesus) and the only one to whom we need to answer is Jesus? I believe the Bible speaks for itself on this matter, and I identified several places in the Bible where I believe the principle of mutual accountability is clearly taught and/or encouraged. One of the most powerful passages, in my opinion, is in Genesis, where, right after murdering his brother, God asks Cain, "Where is your brother?"  and Cain essentially replies, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" I believe a clear implication in that passage is that yes, we are to watch out for... watch over... each other.
2.  What is it about such accountability that creates an environment where longevity and finishing well can flourish? 

I'd considered discussing accountability strategies, but I think that is less important than establishing a case for the importance of accountability (i.e. the most recent post in this series) and the rationale for why... maybe how... accountability helps.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, my girls and I watched The Hunger Games together. At one point in the movie, Katniss, the main protagonist, feels hopeless and is despairing. Immediately, the scene changes to the two men who are responsible for organizing and structuring the games. They are conversing and one of the men, President Snow, says to the other "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear." 

Very profound statement. Maybe it resonates with me because a verse to which I quite literally cling is 2 Timothy 1.7: "For the Spirit which God has given us is not a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of sound judgement." (Weymouth New Testament)

I would propose that accountability-done-right works because it gives hope, and it is that hope which defeats and frees from fear.

How does accountability bring... or give... hope? Free from fear?

• Accountability makes me part of a team, continually reminding me that it isn't just "me and God"  against the world. Rather, there's a whole army fighting with me, an army that includes my brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Accountability forces humility - and while God resists the proud, He gives grace to the humble.
• Accountability ultimately makes me stronger as I acknowledge where I've fallen... or am tempted to fall... and therefore others step in to help and be strong where I can't or where I struggle.
• Accountability reminds me of my need for God's grace and for God's grace flowing to me through the lives of other believers. 
• My dependence on the grace of God and others through the practice of accountability gentles me and makes me more likely to be gracious to others.
• Accountability through confession is cleansing; when I feel cleansed, I feel more hopeful and once again renewed.
• Accountability frees. When I'm no longer trying to maintain an image to meet the expectations of others, because I'm open and authentic regarding my struggles, I don't have to carry the burden of what happens when I fail to meet those expectations.
• Accountability enlists the power of prayer.
• Accountability promotes to healing and health.
• Accountability done well builds up and encourages.

James writes about the hope and power that comes with accountability:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

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Have you ever had someone confront you on an area of sin or a blind spot? 

If so, how did you handle it? 

James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Why are these traits important in an accountability partner? Which one do you need to most work on?

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Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

5. Habituate yourself? 27/09/2014

6. One Priority that can Never be in Excess, 11/10/2014

7. Of rest and rescue, 23/10/2014

8. Dare to Disclose, 8/11/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry ~ Dare to Disclose

A few months back I began a series that has certainly been challenging and thought- provoking for me. I hope God is also using it in your life. The information discussed comes from a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. My notes start with these words: "Like longevity in life, some basic things are needed - right genes, right diet, right exercise, and right environment." Can you see the spiritual parallels? Examining how these principles apply to longevity in ministry on the mission field is forcing me to evaluate whether or not I've been building into my daily life the right sorts of habits and practices to facilitate such longevity.

In the first few posts of the series, I shared the foundation my pastor laid out: to "start, run and finish well," includes two key components. First, we must trust in the sovereignty and sufficiency of God which includes praying like everything depends on God. At the same time we must be obedient, working daily as though everything depends on us in God's strength and for God's glory.

What does the practical outworking of that look like?

Studying through the Bible references my pastor gave in that sermon, I've identified seven essential priorities that help protect from burnout and the temptation to sin... ones that direction and hope for the future... ones that remind that all is grace and a gift from God.

Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Recently, I've spent some time looking at what I think just might be the hardest one of these priorities for those of us who consider ourselves followers of Jesus. Add on the detail of full time Christian worker, minister or missionary... and we become even less likely to welcome what is, at best, viewed as an intrusion.

And the dreaded word is...

photo credit: yksin via photopin cc

...accountability.

Accountability means submitting to, as an obligation and with personal willingness, the responsibility to report and to explain one's words, actions, plans, etc. Give an account means to:

• disclose
• recited
• unfold
• enumerate
• enunciate
• proclaim
• relate
• make known
• report
• reveal
• hold forth

Those are just a few synonyms, and they cover many fine nuances of genuine accountability. But genuine accountability is scary. It means being vulnerable and leaving yourself exposed to the evaluation (informed and uniformed) followed by the resulting opinions, criticisms and  commentary of others. We might expect those outside of our church and our faith to "not get it," and we prepare for it. But when those we call brothers... sisters... colleagues... partners... disagree, don't understand or disapprove of what we've done or are doing or hope to do, it becomes easier and less painful to conceal, hide and suppress details and to instead craft a correct image that meets the expectations of others.

It feels like way to protect.

But that sort of image crafting doesn't protect. Rather, it is insidiously dangerous, leaving us vulnerable. 

Accountability is hard: requiring specific intent, diligent effort and a supernatural dose of humility.

1 Timothy 3 lays out the qualifications... the characteristics God desires to see in those who would seek to serve Him in a leadership position. These verses specifically speak of overseers and deacons, but I think the principles are applicable to all. In this case, I'm considering those who lead through their role as missionaries or overseas Christian workers. One of the key verses in that passage refers to the fact that if "anyone aspires to [such a position]... let them also be tested first; then let them serve..." "

The importance of accountability recurs throughout the entire counsel of God's Word: 

• iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27.17),
• restore those who sin, in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1),
• bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2),
• confess our sins to each other (James 5:16)
• pray for one another (James 5:16), 
• Matthew 18 and the description of how we are to confront one another when it is needed,
• "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12),
• bring back the brother who wanders (James 5:19-20),
• meet together, encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25), 
• exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today” (Hebrews 3:12-13), 
• it is shameful to legally settle a dispute between believers that should be settled as though between brothers (1 Corinthians 6),etween the brothers,
• “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me" (Ezekiel 33:7),
• We are obligated to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves (Romans 7),
• "Whoever says to the wicked, 'You are in the right,' will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them" (Proverbs 24:24-25),
• seeing a brother in need, closing the heart and not helping is not evidence of God's love abiding within... and in fact, if we do so our own heart condemns us (1 John 3:17-21)
• "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (from Hebrews 13),
• encourage one another, build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11),
• Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9),
• consider how to motivate each other (Hebrews 10), 
• Pay attention, rebuke the sinning brother and forgive him when he repents (Luke 17:3),
• "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17),
• “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (from Matthew 5)

We can't escape the fact that God expects us to be accountable not only to Him, but to those in our lives here on this earth. This principle is literally peppered throughout the Bible - described and mandated directly, demonstrated both positively and negatively by different Biblical characters, and encouraged in principle even when not declared outright.

Is accountability hard for you? Why or why not?

Share ideas of what have you done, as an overseas or missionary worker, to build accountability into your life and ministry.

PS We'll keep on looking at accountability in the next post - so make sure you jump on in to the discussion and leave your responses in the comment section or on Facebook.

 Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

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Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

5. Habituate yourself? 27/09/2014

6. One Priority that can Never be in Excess, 11/10/2014

7. Of rest and rescue, 23/10/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry - of rest and rescue

A few months back I began a series that I'm hoping will be both a challenge and encouragement - it has definitely been a challenge for me. The information I'm discussing is based off of a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. My notes started off with these words: "Like longevity in life, some basic things are needed - right genes, right diet, right exercise, and right environment." The same principle applies to longevity in ministry on the mission field.

In the first few posts of the series, I shared the foundation my pastor laid out:t to "start, run and finish well," includes two key components. First, we must trust in the sovereignty and sufficiency of God which includes praying like everything depends on God. At the same time we must be obedient, working daily as though everything depends on us in God's strength and for God's glory.

What does the practical outworking of that look like:

I've identified seven priorities that are absolutely essential - ones that protect me from burnout and the temptation of sin, ones that give me direction and hope for the future, ones that remind me from whence comes any and all measure of progress and success.

Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Today, I'm considering that third priority. 

On the border between Israel, Palestine and Jordan is a body of water called the Dead Sea. Thirty-one miles long and nine miles wide at its widest point, it lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.The surface of the sea and its shores are 1,401 feet below sea level which is the Earth's lowest land elevation. It is nearly ten times as salty as the ocean. The hyper-salinity results in a harsh environment meaning neither plants nor animals thrive or proliferate in the environs. The Jordan River is the primary tributary, and because of the low surface level, water only flows in. It never flows out and is lost only by evaporation, hence the high mineral concentration.

My pastor likes to use the Dead Sea as an example of what happens if we focus on priorities one (growing in knowledge) and two (praying) without ever serving and giving back out:  we become like the Dead Sea, rich in mineral content but no place where flourishing and surviving will occur. 

It sounds a bit crazy to think that missionaries, of all people, would struggle with too much spiritual food and not enough spiritual service. Most of us often feel right on the edge of burnout. But I know from my own experience that sometimes, the temptation was great to cocoon within the expat or missionary community, to hole up with my family and hardly interact with people in the local community. Strangely enough, that retreat never helped the exhaustion... depression... anxiety... discontentment. What did help was finding and maintaining that balance between rest while still actively being a part of God's rescue mission.

We need to regularly give out the Word of God: evangelism, discipleship and through meeting practical and physical needs.  We must commit to intentional service while trusting God for those things that don't fit into the daily schedule. We must minister to our family, our neighbors, our community, within our official ministries... and at the same time allow God and others to minister to us. Sometimes that means accepting help - and sometimes missionary types aren't so good at that. We're so busy making God's business our business of rescue that we forget the rest.

Thus, as we look at these priorities, I can't say that one is more important than another. I can say that some more naturally come easily while others I have to work out. Yet they are all important and we must find a balance.

Back to that Dead Sea example... All inflow and no outflow leads to death. All outflow and no inflow leads to nothing left to flow out. 

Neither extreme contributes to longevity or productive ministry.

What are some strategies you use to protect this balance when surrounded by so many needs?

Which tempts you more: retreating within your family/expat community and withdrawing from ministry and rescue... or never taking the time to rest and retreat? Why do you think that is? What can you do about it?

***************************************

Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

5. Habituate yourself? 27/09/2014

6. One Priority that can Never be in Excess, 11/10/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

photo credit: linh.ngan via photopin cc

Longevity in Ministry ~ One Priority that Can NEVER be in Excess ~

It's a relief to know that there's at least one thing of which we can NEVER

do... or get... or have to much!

What might it be?

Several weeks ago, I started a series that I'm hoping will be both a challenge and encouragement - it has definitely been a challenge for me - based off of a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. 

I've identified seven priorities that are absolutely essential - ones that protect me from burnout and the temptation of sin, ones that give me direction and hope for the future, ones that remind me from whence comes any and all measure of progress and success. Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Two weeks ago, we explored some of what it means to walk with God... The conclusion? It's an essential habit that must be intentionally developed if godliness as well as longevity in ministry is a goal.

Prayer is the second priority. I believe it was Spurgeon who said something along the lines of "We can never pray in excess." Some may disagree, but the older I get, the more I'm convinced that is truth. After all, God, Himself, tells us to "Pray without ceasing!" and if you look carefully into the original meaning of, it means to pray without intermission. In other words, that means to pray without any interval, break or respite in between.

What else does God say about prayer? It inspires hope and encourages (Psalm 43); prayer is a refuge where we can run to enter the presence of God for hope, for care, for comfort and for strength - just to name a few. (Psalm 71) Through prayer, we can both praise and petition (Psalm 71). We should feel the liberty to pray every day, at scheduled times throughout the day, but also whenever God's Spirit compels us to talk with Him, or to listen to Him (Psalm 55:16-17). He longs for us to cast the heavy things of this life on His capable shoulders and trust Him (Psalm 55:22).  And He promises that when we pray for things in His name, according to His will, He will answer - so we have that confidence each time we approach prayer (John 15). 

How do we know if we are praying according to His will? First, we have to make spending time with Him, intentionally seeking His presence, a priority. Jerry Richards defines ungodliness as characteristic of those who live their daily lives with very little thought or consideration of God and what He might think. Thus, to know what pleases God, we must be spending time with Him, in His Word and allowing Him to disciple us. I also love this quote by Dutch Sheets: “Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.” Prayer changes us.

Prayer should guide our strategic planning: Just as the ant prepares, the rabbit anticipates, the locust organizes and the spider remains determined - we are first to see these examples in Scripture; then we learn them and apply them. This drives our vision to reach future generations for God - it must flow out of hearts who love and long to pray (Proverbs 30:24-28).

The really unbelievable thing is that what is mentioned in the above verses is barely the tip of the iceberg of all that God's Word shares about prayer and its importance.

What prevents us from spending significant time, then, under our knees? As Charles Stanley has said more than once: "God's voice is still and quiet and easily buried under an avalanche of clamour."

We get so busy or so tired or so distracted that we really believe we don't have time to pray. We begin to think like a "practical atheist," and relegate prayer to the realm of those who have nothing better to do, a great ministry for the bed-ridden, home-bound, or others who can't do what we qualifiy in our minds as "real ministry." We don't actually sound a whole lot different from Madalyn Murray O'Hair: "An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated." The world has convinced us... Satan has blinded God's people so that prayer is trivialized and less important than some other priorities. We forget the truth that the Spirit laid upon the heart of Oswald Chambers and which he later penned for all of us to benefit. Chambers believed that "...prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." 

It comes back to that truth my pastor started off saying at the very beginning of his sermon: "Work like it all depends on you; pray like it all depends on God."

Or perhaps even more compelling, look at Hudson Taylor's thought on this subject. "I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working."

If you want to live it, you must believe it.

Do you have any testimony of how you've seen, very specifically, God work to answer one of your prayers?

***************************************

Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

5. Habituate yourself? 27/09/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry ~ "Habituate yourself" ~

Thomas Jefferson once said: 

"Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself..."

Several weeks ago, I started a series that I'm hoping will be both a challenge and encouragement to you, based off of a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. 

In my last post, I identified seven priorities that are absolutely essential for me- ones that protect me from burnout and the temptation of sin, ones that give me direction and hope for the future, ones that remind me from whence comes any measure of progress and success. Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Today, I want to consider what may seem obvious...

...but it is so critical that its importance cannot be overstated. 

Absolutely key to a longevity on the mission field (or in ministry... or in life) that pleases the Lord is a continual seeking after and dependence upon Jesus - a persistent devotional life characterized and a consistent, continual seeking of His wisdom as the guide for not only our big decisions, but our day to day actions... even our very thoughts and mental meanderings.  We've got to walk with Him daily -  all day, every day, every moment of every day. "The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm." (Proverbs 13:20) Usually, we hear this verse applied to our choice of friends and acquaintances - you know, those people we hang out with on a regular basis and who we allow to influence what we think and believe.  Yet as I was reading those words recently, I had another thought strike me, and I believe it is supported by Scripture.

Who is the wisest of all?

• Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!  (Romans 11:33)
• This grace was given to me — the least of all the saints — to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. (Ephesians 3:8-10)
• which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
• We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. (1 Corinthians 4:10)
• You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
• For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.an Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1: 18-26)

God is the THE Wise one. If we want to walk with the wise, we must first be walking with Him. He has to be my first and most important companion of choice - above all others. That is hard, sometimes... because the others are often tangible.

What does walking with God look like? There are some examples in the Biblical account, those to whom we can look, to discover qualities of their lives that we can imitate, so that we can walk with God. Consider:

1. Enoch. The Bible teaches that Enoch walked with God and was no more. The statement is repeated, as if to confirm and then emphasize that fact, that in a very corrupt time, one man walked with God. In his walking with God, he pleased God and was commended for that fact. And Jude tells us that Enoch faithfully prophesied of the Lord's coming.
2. Noah. He, too, is described as walking faithfully with God, blameless and righteous during the time in which he lived. We have a few more details about the life of Noah. He listened and obeyed when God spoke to him. He risked and received the disapproval of his peers. He was clearly called out and separated by God to accomplish a specific and difficult task. He brought his family along with him.
3. Micah 6:8. "He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the LORD is requiring from you— to act with justice, to treasure the LORD's gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God."
4. Amos 3:3. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

It is so obvious, so simple - to increasingly grow in intimacy with God, we must walk with Him. It must become my habit: 1) a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up, as well as 2) my regular dress or attire.

Yet the practice of this priority, in the typical tyranny of urgent that literally attacks with vehemence every day, often lacks. I almost added, "particularly in ministry" to that last phrase... but perhaps more truthful is "particularly in life." Personally, I tend to experience seasons or cycles of success. I've not yet mastered long-term consistency. With that said, here is what helps me:

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When I adopt a casual attitude and forget the proper respect and reverence due an infinite, holy Sovereign, I become casual about spending time before His throne. (Proverbs 1) I want to approach God with humble confidence and boldness, never flippantly or with arrogance and pride.
• God's Word is truth and it sanctifies. It offers wisdom and the continual reminder of just with Whom I am seeking to walk. (John 17:17, John 15) His Word has everything I need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)
• Reading good devotional books, blogs, or articles that draw my mind to the things of God and encourage me to reflect on Him while teaching me more about Him. Confirming through Scripture that the things I'm learning through those books are true. (2 Timothy 4:13) 
• Making sure I'm regularly hearing quality preaching and exposition of God's Word - while once again verifying that what I've heard conforms to what God has already declared true. (Romans 10:17)
• Choose to be motivated, look for encouragement, remain focused. In my life, that means finding a good friend or two with whom I covenant to be transparent, who will hold me accountable, who will confront me when necessary and who will, when I can't, encourage my heart in the Lord - just as Jonathan did for David.
• Writing and sharing through that forum what God is teaching me. It helps me think and I tend to process life with my fingers on a keyboard. It also keeps me accountable because I tend to share what I'm learning most readily through the written medium.

What about you? What is critical practice for you as you seek to walk with God?

We all know that this is so key and so straightforward, but for most of us, it is always a struggle. Why do you think that is the case? What most distracts you from walking with God?

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Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry ~ The essentials? Or merely superfluous? ~

Several weeks ago, I started a series that I'm hoping will be both a challenge and encouragement to you, based off of a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. The first post focused on that oxymoron that the God is sovereign, but that men are also responsible. Imagining those two truths as a horseshoe where, as mere humans, we only see and comprehend the ends. God, on the other hand, looks at the whole and thus can see how two things that appear contradictory do actually work together. The second post considered one of the ends of that horseshoe: trusting God, not only because He is sovereign - but because He is sufficient in that sovereignty. The third post explored the other end of that horseshoe and specifically what God's Word says about obedience and abiding in Christ.

A 2003 study on missionary retention/attrition observed that the number of missionaries leaving missions for preventable reasons is increasing. One of the interesting details that they noted in their survey based research: 

"...high retention agencies placed more weight on the selection criteria for screening purposes than low retention agencies. [Additionally] High retention agencies placed a significantly greater weight on: a) Previous church ministry experience [and] b) The demonstration of mature Christian character and spiritual disciplines of prayer and devotional life."

According to this study (and not surprisingly), longevity in ministry correlated with the consistent application of key Bible based principles, particularly a heart inclined to ministry as demonstrated by consistently working to serve others before ever heading to the mission field, lives seasoned by persistent trust and God's grace, and a determination to not allow ministry to overwhelm private devotion to one's individual relationship with God.

This means that those who "started well, ran well and finished well" could not only recite the importance of what I'm listing below, but they also demonstrated a history of persevering in priorities such as:

1. growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 

2. praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 

3. striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 

4. welcoming accountability; 

5. committing to marriage and family;  

6. choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 

7. determining to be a genuine team player.

As this series continues, each successive post will target these priorities as key principles identified in God's Word with the goal of helping missionaries and others seeking to serve God under challenging circumstances "hang in there," allowing God to continue working in and through them to better love God and love people.

Rather than diving in immediately, however - I'm curious....

What do you think?

Are those priorities listed above essential for longevity? 

Are some more important than others? 

Would you add additional ones? 

Are some priorities easier to maintain than others?

Which do you find the most difficult?

***************************************

Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.