I recently interviewed two ministers for a class project. The interviews turned into much more than interviews. They turned into long conversations, and, I hope, friendships. I won’t go into specifics here, only lessons. I want to share how and why these men caused me to praise God.
I decided that I wanted to interview older ministers who had stayed the course in the ministry. Between the two men that I chose, I was listening to the wisdom gleaned from over 100 years of experience in gospel ministry. Both were ordained in the 1950’s, both have continued to fight the good fight, both are running the race right on to the end. This, in itself, made the time and effort to interview these men worth it. Here were two men who endured, and remain joyful, and continue to minister into their 80’s. Neither of them sought (or gained) wealth, neither of them had the slightest desire to be famous, neither of them even sought to be relevant (in the worldly sense of the term). They were simply faithful, and remain faithful. God bless them and all men like them.
Of all the things God taught me in these interviews, the main thing was the power of endurance. More than ever I long for nothing more than to be called to a church that will have me for the rest of my life. George Bush didn’t invent staying the course, and he didn’t ruin the idea or practice of doing so. Staying the course, at least to me, still means something.
Honor is due to those who endure, not just to those who sparkle. We should honor such men much more than we do.
The other primary lesson I learned is that ministry is intricately tied to personality. God gives diverse gifts. You can’t escape it. I talked to two men who have lasted for so long, two men whose theological beliefs are essentially identical, and yet their practices were very different. They dealt with people very differently, they preached differently in some respects, and yet they both capably ministered to the flocks the good Shepherd entrusted to them.
I am a big believer in imitation. I believe that discipleship, stripped down, is imitation of Jesus through imitation of those who are like Jesus. But these interviews reminded me that, under Christ, you must, in some sense, be your own man. If I tried to follow the advice of both men I would be called schizophrenic. They were that different. But both were faithful, and I don’t judge one to be more faithful than the other. They both proclaimed the Word of God and cared for the souls of men. At the end of the day, what more could you ask? You must take those two things, which go hand in hand and cannot be separated for a pastor – proclamation and soul-care – and do them with all you might according to the gifts that God has given you, within the bounds of his Word.
Young ministers, Do not rush into the ministry without counsel, without the wisdom and prayers of godly, Christ-loving men who have run the race before you. Don’t seek the famous, seek the godly and enduring.
I felt a call to gospel ministry 12 years ago. I began preaching 12 years ago. But I was not ready to pastor a flock (I also happened to be 20 years old). Could God edify men through my preaching? Yes. Could he win the lost through my preaching? Yes. But I would not have been able to care for a flock on a regular basis. ‘Not a novice, lest he be puffed up with pride and fall into the snare of the devil.’ Paul wrote that for a reason. Seek counsel from those wiser, and holier, than you. And while you’re at it seek their prayers – not prayers for your success, but prayers for wisdom and holiness.
Nearly every morning, when I wake up and begin my morning prayers, I thank God that I woke up a Christian. It wasn’t a dream. I didn’t wake up to find the old me had reappeared in the night. Grendel had not appeared and slaughtered while the king slept. God’s mercies in Christ are new every morning, and he slumbers not nor sleeps. Take the time to look at older men and women who have endured. Study their endurance. Pray for your own: ‘Here’s my heart, O take it seal it, seal it for thy courts above.’ God’s sustaining power is amazing.