At the early stage of our work in Akure, as a full-time minister, I noticed I was always tired or exhausted by the time I came back from the church office. I got so bothered that I asked God, “Why am I always tired and exhausted, even than when I was still working in the secular?” God’s response supplied a basic truth I would live to remember; “Son, you are working, that’s why you feel exhausted. Ministry is work.”
Friend, ministry is work. Not too many people understand the work of the ministry. There is no place for a lazy man in ministry. Gone are those days where you would say that you are not working because you are in the ministry. In fact, you are doing the greatest work (John 5:17, 9:4). Some people have viewed full-time ministers as those who tie towels around the house at 11am. That is a fool’s time ministry, not full-time ministry.
Preaching is work. Praying is work. Counselling is work. Studying is work. Carrying other people’s burden in your heart is work, not to talk of the administrative part of the ministry (2 Corinthians 11:28). Someone once said that “1 hour of preaching can be worth more than 1 week of secular work in terms of what goes into it in preparation and delivery.” I can relate, having tasted both worlds.
When next you think about ministry, think about work (1 Timothy 3:1). To my mind, if you cannot cope with working in the secular, I don’t think you can ever cope working in the ministry. This is why God often calls busy people, those already used to working (Amos 7:14-15, Acts 9:1-6).
Most of Jesus’ disciples were busy people. They were people who were already used to working (Matthew 4:18, 9:9). Ministry is not an escape from work. God does not call lazy people. If God has called you into the ministry, ensure you approach it with the highest level of diligence. Whereas God supplies the calling, you would need to supply the diligence (2 Peter 1:10).
Every believer has a ministry (Ephesians 4:12). There is an assignment that God wants us to carry out for Him in the world (Colossians 4:17). Don’t promote your career above the calling or ministry that God has given you. Your career is not your ministry; it is only a platform for ministry. No ministry is superior to another (Romans 12:3, 1 Peter 4:10-11). It is the diligence you give to it that determines its outcome (Acts 26:19).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria