What do you think it means to depend on God in the ministry, and how do you do that? In Mark 4:26-29 (ESV), Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” What a great picture of the farmer putting forth the measure of effort for which he is responsible, yet relying on principles at work beyond his control! I think this parable gives us some helpful perspective on the idea of depending on God in the ministry. When I think about depending on God in ministry, I think of doing all I can, in His power and in obedience to His Word, to be a good steward of my own walk with Christ, my call to the ministry, and my ministry responsibility – relying on Him and trusting Him with the results.
What Might Depending on God in Ministry Look Like? – Previously, I suggested depending on God involves relying on Him for leadership, resources, and results. Further, I included obedience to His Word, good research and Godly counsel, and openness to His Spirit as aspects of depending on Him. Here are a few additional thoughts.
Study the Word to understand how to do ministry and how to maintain a right relationship with the Lord, as well as to know what is God’s job and what is ours.
Trust God sees the big picture and is at work in ways we don’t see or understand.
Spend time with the Lord and practicing appropriate self-care and spiritual disciplines so we stay close to Him and physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually strong.
Examine every church growth and ministry idea in light of God’s Word and Kingdom impact.
Offer ourselves and ministry as worship to the Lord.
Avoid the extremes of believing it is all God’s work or all yours.
Find ways of evaluating motives, actions, and inactions to make sure it is the Word and the Kingdom directing your ministry rather than your own biases, fears, and agendas.
Actively seek the Lord for guidance in your preaching rather than using other peoples’ sermons.
Actively seek the Lord, and be open to His direction, in how to use each day, how to minister to people, and every other part of ministry.
What are Some Misuses of Depending on God – In my previous post, I suggested the idea of depending on God in ministry can be misused. Here are four ways this can happen.
Avoiding Accountability – Sometimes, when we don’t want to keep our word or when we fall short on some responsibility, we will claim, “I’m depending on God for that” or “God led me in a different direction.” We failed or faltered, and we are using God and the notion His leadership to avoid accountability.
A Lack of Due Diligence – In everything from sermon preparation to research on church legal and business issues, we can become lazy, not doing all we should, and claiming we are just “depending on God” instead of doing the hard work of research, study, and preparation. Disobedience, laziness, and carelessness are not legitimate expressions of depending on God. They are poor stewardship of our responsibilities.
Expecting God to Clean up Our Mess – Depending on God can be a mindset we slip into when we want to sin, fail to curb harsh aspects of our personality, etc. then ask God to clean up the mess. God is in the business of forgiving sins, but He tends to let the consequences of our actions and failures to act play themselves out.
Confusing our Part and God’s Part – Sometimes, we don’t understand what God’s part in ministry is versus what our part is. We begin asking God to do our part, while we try to do His part.
What are Some Reasons we Fail to Depend on God? – At one point in the Israelites’ story, God told Moses He would not continue accompanying them on their journey, to which Moses basically said, “If you aren’t going with us, don’t lead us from here.” That is how I feel about ministry. If God is not going to empower it, I don’t need to be doing it. Yet, sometimes, we try to serve without depending on God.
Discouragement or Disappointment – There may be times we feel God did not support our work and obedience. We also may simply be tired due to a long season of not seeing results. In these times, we may begin to rely on self and other techniques and resources in place of God.
Overconfidence in the Flesh – When I use the term “flesh” here, I do not mean our sinful nature but, rather, our humanity apart from the Lord’s enlivening work. I mean secular techniques and our own effort. We may place more confidence in these things than is warranted.
Not Understanding Spiritual Dynamics – Of all people, those in ministry should understand the Kingdom is about spiritual work with spiritual dynamics and in need of God’s power, but I feel some don’t understand this. In a similar vein, the temporal aspects of ministry may seem unspiritual and also may distract us from a heart of dependence on God. We may even focus on the more mundane aspects of ministry because we feel we don’t have to rely on God for guidance, resources, and results.
Impatience – Whether from our own minds or from the church’s expectations, we may want visible results more quickly than God seems to be giving them, and we may not understand the process of sowing the Word, nurturing growth, and allowing God’s processes to work.
Busyness and Routine – Sometimes, the busyness and routine of ministry crowd out time for reflection, solitude with God, and seeking Godly counsel. We may shift into “auto-pilot” and stop relying on the Lord in a conscious and intentional way.
Ministry is a vital partnership between us and God as we seek His Kingdom advance in obedience to His Word and empowered by His Spirit. May He reveal the ways in which we need more fully to depend on Him and the balance of His work and ours! May He encourage our hearts and keep us dependent on Him!