When Life Gets In The Way (Part 7)

I remember as a young preacher in the early 70's that one of our evangelists went on an evangelistic campaign in Alaska. They were one of the most respected evangelists and ministers in our state and had a full schedule of meetings, but they chose to obey the Lord and leave material comforts behind in South Carolina. Their calling to minister was greater than being content with the status quo of ministry.

There are two variations of contentment in ministry. the first is fleeting and the second is enduring.  The fleeting type is derived from limitations of material comfort, while the enduring type is attained through the gradual growth of your relationship with God.  At a glimpse it might be difficult to decipher one from the other, but as time rolls on it becomes vividly obvious that the latter is far superior.

Enduring contentment sustains itself through life’s ups and downs, because through them your mind remains confident and at peace with God.  On the other hand, when life’s fleeting changes have the ability to ruffle your mind into a frenzy, even the most elaborate physical comforts won’t make you any happier for very long.  Pastoring a larger church is not always the answer. It's all about being where God wants you to be that makes the difference.

If you want to make a difference for God in the world, start with the world around you.  Making a big difference all at once is almost impossible, and the process of trying is extremely stressful.  However, instantly making a difference in a few lives is entirely possible and usually fairly easy.  You just have to focus on one person at a time and start with the one closest to you.

Work to make a bunch of small splashes, and let the ripples spread naturally.  If you want to change a person’s mind or mood, sometimes you have to change the minds or moods of the people around them first.  For instance, if you make one person smile, their smile just might make others smile too.  In this subtle way, you can touch the masses with your ministry without stressing yourself out. Learn as the Apostle to be "content in whatever state you're in."