How do you keep going when it appears that nothing is working? Great question. It's one I wrestle with at least once a month. Well, maybe once a week. Okay, A LOT. We can start to feel beat up by ministry. Here are some thoughts that keep me going when I want to throw in the towel:
Remember your calling. When I am discouraged, I have to come back to the specific vocational calling God has revealed. It's not about me and my own frustrations; nor is it about about my personal triumphs. My motivation must stem from outside myself in the mission God has invited me to join. I think of the prophet Jeremiah. Called by God at a young age to be God's voice to His people, Jeremiah preached and prayed and prophesied for his entire life. The result? No one listened, the people continued their downward spiral into sin, and ultimately were dragged away into exile while Jerusalem burned. Was Jeremiah successful? Not by our standards. Zero converts, tons of sinners, and the building burned down. Was he faithful and obedient to the calling God gave him? Yes. That has to be the standard for success.
Define success in long-term holistic fruit. This is one of my ministry values. Trust God in the process of growth. He often works much slower than our fast-paced Internet-influenced minds would like. I cannot define my overall success in youth ministry by the immediate. I am not trying to create Godly teenagers; I am trying to foster Godly adults. I want them to be following Jesus decades from now, not just for one evening's discussion or when they participate in my program. So when one night goes really poorly--or really well--I must view it as a tiny piece in the larger picture. Remember: there's always next time.
Pace appropriately. The small group the volunteer leads is a group of grade 9 boys, and their delinquent actions were very congruent with all grade 9 boy stereotypes. In discipleship, we have to slow down and pace alongside someone in their spiritual journey. We must be present with them where they're at, even if we want them to be so much further along. Our expectations need to be high, but they also must be realistic. Discipleship for a grade 9 boy in high school is remarkably different than a first-year student in university.
Remember Jesus. He's the one who transforms hearts anyway. We are just guides ands curators along the journey. We pray that He would somehow work in and through us as conduits for His love and grace. Just look at His own disciples--they were a bunch of loud-mouth idiots who often misunderstood what He said and just plain didn't get it. Plus, one of them sold Him out to have Him killed, and they all abandoned Him in His darkest hour. These are the guys who ended up changing the entire world in the name of Christ. If the Son of God doesn't have a "perfect" record with His disciples, perhaps we can give ourselves a bit more grace.
Keep the towel. Don't give up on ministry with young people!
What would you add? What keeps you going when you're discouraged in ministry? Share in a comment.
A version of this post originally appeared on The Mayward Blog here.
Joel Mayward is a pastor, writer, husband, and father living in Langley, British Columbia. He’s been serving in youth ministry since 2003, and is currently the Pastor of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at North Langley Community Church. A writer for numerous youth ministry publications and author of Leading Up: Finding Influence in the Church Beyond Role and Experience, Joel writes about youth ministry, film, theology, and leadership at his blog, joelmayward.blogspot.ca.
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