Ministry is my putting out what God is putting into me

Terry Powell April 1, 2024

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As I reflect on over 50 years of vocational ministry, a regret surfaces.

Occasionally, during periods of heavier-than-normal ministry loads, my service for the Lord sabotaged my seeking of Him. Looking back as a more objective observer, at times I seemed to be more in love with the Lord's work than I was in love with my Savior.

Oh, I'm aware it's never an either/or proposition. Both hard work and private times cultivating intimacy with Christ are an integral part of my life and calling. Yet if I could start over again as a church staff member and Bible college professor, I'd more ruthlessly protect a regular, unhurried time of devotional Bible study, prayer and private worship. As I faced the demand of the day ahead, I sometimes rushed through those spiritual disciplines.

Only after a couple decades of ministry did I become convinced that the physical, emotional and spiritual energy required for my ministry output depended on unhurried time alone with my Savior. I said I believed this from the start, but that cognitive acknowledgement didn't morph into schedule changes until I experienced burnout, a greater vulnerability to temptation and more irritability.

In Colossians 1:24-27, Paul mentions his suffering for the gospel and cites his calling to preach. He insists that the hope of glory is "Christ in you." Then in verses 28-29 he describes his ministry in more detail: "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this we toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (emphasis mine).

His words "toil" and "struggling" suggest diligence and intensity. The term translated "struggling" indicates tenacious labor tantamount to wrestling. What fueled Paul's soul as he worked for Christ? He emphasized that divine input fueled his ministry output. He cites Christ's energy "that he powerfully works within me."

I became acquainted with the implications of these verses in a message I heard from the late Baptist pastor, Ron Dunn, when he spoke at a conference for Christian workers. He gleaned from these verses what he called "Paul's definition of ministry":

Ministry is my putting out what God is putting into me.

I don't spend time with the Lord just so I'll have ample energy to serve Him. No, I desperately want and need to know Him better and enjoy His presence even if no tasks await me on any given day. Nonetheless, during my latter years of full-time ministry, I'd often ask myself these questions as I sought to apply those verses in Colossians.

· To what extent is what I'm doing for the Lord fueled by input from Him?

· What does a neglect of intimacy with Christ suggest about my priorities and my motives?

· If I struggle to spend personal time with the Lord, does that suggest that my identity is rooted in what I do for Him, rather than in what He has done for me?

· What adjustments must I make in my schedule so Christ has ample opportunity to fuel my work and recharge my batteries with the energy that only He can provide?

To put a cap on this article, I'll quote from two books that assist in my attempts to apply Paul's definition of ministry.

"Where your priorities are, there your time will be."
-Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World (Revised and Updated Edition)

Pastor John Ortberg asked his friend and mentor Dallas Willard, "What do I need to do to stay spiritually healthy?" After a long pause, Willard said, "Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."
-From John Ortberg's Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You

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Dr. Terry Powell is Faculty Emeritus at Columbia International University, in S. C., where he is an Adjunct Professor in Church Ministries. Dr. Powell writes a blog on faith and depression entitled Penetrating the Darkness. He is the author of Serve Strong,which helps volunteers as well as vocational Christian workers combat discouragement, persevere through weariness, and cultivate endurance for the long haul. Learn More »

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