EDITORIAL
In the Trenches | Eric Geiger
You have likely observed two common and opposite errors in relation to physical fitness and health: neglect or obsession. These patterns echo what we call mirror-image mistakes in ministry leadership, and they are neither pleasing to God nor beneficial for your well-being.
Our tendency to drift impacts not only our health but also our approach to the work God has entrusted to us. Here are four sets of common and opposite errors that ministry leaders must avoid to remain faithful stewards of their sacred calling.
1. Lazy or Workaholic
A mentor once told me that local church ministry can be a haven for both the lazy and the workaholic. The private nature of pastoral work can allow some to avoid their responsibilities, while the never-ending demands of the role can fuel the sin of workaholism. While a lazy person may hide and a workaholic may burn out, both extremes must be diligently avoided to maintain a healthy ministry.
2. Truth Without Grace or Grace Without Truth
Jesus is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and we are to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Some attempt to only speak the truth and others attempt to only offer grace. Notice I use the word “attempt,” because, as Randy Alcorn insightfully wrote, “Truth without grace crushes people and ceases to be truth. Grace without truth deceives people and ceases to be grace.”
3. Love Offending or Unwilling to Offend
If you love to offend people, ministry is not the place for you. And if you are unwilling to offend people, ministry is also not the place for you. Both loving to offend and being unwilling to offend are bad for the sheep in God’s flock. The sheep need compassion and clarity. They benefit from shepherds who love them and the truth—and are willing to share the truth even when it offends.
4. Needing Ministry or Neglecting Ministry
To need ministry in order to feel like your life has worth is to make a god of the gift of ministry. Not working diligently means neglecting the gift of ministry God has given. In Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus’ desire for his disciples to serve passionately while also not idolizing ministry. When the disciples returned to him rejoicing from a full day of ministry, Jesus gave a strong instruction: “Don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Jesus wants us to serve and rejoice more in what he has done for us than in what we do for him.
Remembering who we are helps keep us faithful and away from the common errors. We are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of his grace (1 Cor. 4:1). He has rescued us and made us his own and given us his message of grace and truth to faithfully steward. May we rejoice in him first and serve others with a holy grit because of what he has done for us.