Serving the Lord in ministry is the most enjoyable thing to do. When we serve in ministry, we accomplish many things at the same time: serving God, blessing people in church, reaching out to those who don't know Christ, and fulfilling our role in the interwoven fabric of the Church.
Yet, why is it that some people experience burnout and exhaustion in ministry?
There are some reasons affecting our efficiency and endurance in serving, and this writing is meant to help you endure more while retaining and improving your efficiency in ministry.
How? By having fun while doing the noble and heavy task of ministry work.
Here are some tips for you to have fun while serving the Lord in ministry.
1. Serve according to your gifts
The Bible says that God has designed us and endowed us with skills and potentials necessary for us to serve and do good works (see Ephesians 2:10). The key here is to know where God has designed you for, and serving there. Why?
Think about bolts and their respective nuts. Each nut has a corresponding bolt, and when we try to partner one with the wrong piece, we just get frustrated in trying to make them fit. Worse, the nut or the bolt gets damaged and eventually destroyed. In the same way, serving in the area that you're not gifted in will really frustrate you.
When we serve in the areas of our gifts, we also get the chance to upgrade that skill and fulfill our roles, while enjoying it.
2. Know your limits
While it is really good to serve the Lord and the church in a variety of ways, take care not to overwork yourself, and make commitments that you won't be able to meet while maintaining your health. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 to "Let every man give according to the purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver," and the same applies to your efforts and resources, including sleep. You're not obliged to give or do more than what you are actually able to.
3. Fix your eyes on Jesus
Nothing beats serving the Lord. When we think about the people who are blessed through our efforts, we become happy. But when we hear criticisms from others or hateful remarks from people around us, even those in church, we'll surely face discouragements. The solution? Fix your eyes on Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is the best ministry model we have in the Bible, far beyond Paul, Peter or even Stephen who was the first martyr in the book of Acts. Jesus gave it all for us, without thinking for anything in return, except for doing the will of the Father.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
