There is this guilt or guilt trip that ministers often face when operating in their calling. They feel guilty not only when they refrain from serving for a few days, but also when others criticize them for their pause. As I was preparing this article, I couldn’t help but think of the heating pad that I use for my menstrual cramps. The manual says that I must not use the equipment while sleeping for safety purposes. However, because the heating pad brings me much comfort and helps relieve my pain, I sleep with it all night long, especially when the pain gets worse. Although I benefit from the equipment at night, I’m also aware that I overwork it by letting it run all night. Therefore, if the equipment wears out or if it damages my skin, I cannot complain about the product or the manufacturer because I decided to misuse it. We can use that same concept for our body. We tend to forget that the body is an instrument created by God. Scripture says that the body is an earthen vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7) and it is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). In other words, we cannot complain to God about anything that He gives us that we choose to mismanage.
Another concept we can use is our regular jobs, whatever field they may be. For instance, when you work for a company, you dress for work; when you arrive, you punch in and later punch out. You have a lunch break, and depending on where you work, you get to have: 15-minute breaks, benefits, bonuses, holiday pay, maternity leave, sick days, vacation days, and pay day. So, the company incorporates all these benefits to protect and encourage you to stay at that job for as long as they need you. So, if this is the way earthly authorities operate, don’t you think God will treat His servants with supreme goodness, grace, and love? We must never forget that God doesn’t imitate our principles, but we imitate His. And because God is the Original, His systems and ways will always be purer, fairer, better, greater, more generous, and much more effective. Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In other words, men will attempt to give us benefits and protect us when they need us, but when their need for us is over, so are the benefits and protection. Nonetheless, God is not like men. He doesn’t treat us like men do. God is constant in His love and compassion even when we are unproductive. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Romans 5:8
So how does God see the ministers who serve in His Kingdom?
He sees them just like He saw Jesus while He was living on earth. Remember, Jesus was also sent to accomplish a mission. What is fascinating about His method is that in one instance, Jesus said: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me; night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4, and in other instances, the same Jesus would pull away from the crowds (Matthew 12:15; Mark 3: 7; Luke 6: 12-13), or He would say to His disciples: “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31. Does that mean Jesus was double-minded about His work?
And when considering a few servants in the Bible, for example, the prophet Elijah and King David. Prophet Elijah ran from Queen Jezebel, who threatened to kill him because he had executed the false prophets of Baal. And after he told God that he had had enough and wanted to die because the task was too heavy for him, he lay down under the bush and fell asleep (1 Kings 19: 2-5). God did not rebuke or criticize him; nor did He cancel his purpose. Instead, Scripture says, “An angel touched him and said get up and eat for the journey is too much for you” (1 kings 19: 3-7) And in verse 8 it says that because of the food he ate from heaven (bread and water), he was strengthened by that food and could travel forty days and forty nights until He reached Horeb, the mountain of God. So, because of an encounter He had with God, Prophet Elijah received what he needed to continue the journey that once seemed hard.
And we also saw in Scripture that King David was on the run for his life at times. David was a warrior, yet he had to hide in caves from King Saul, and during those moments, he found solace in God. I do not doubt that it was during those moments that he wrote many Psalms, which were also known as sacred songs. No wonder he says in Psalm 23: 1-3, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” So, David most likely wrote these Psalms during his personal time with God, not on the battlefield or in his sphere of influence.
I believe all the heroes in the Bible could have given up on their faith if they didn’t find solace in Jesus Christ. Their comfort in God gave them a safe place to renew their strength, so they had to learn to wait on the Lord to regain their energy. Scripture says those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. So, they didn’t have to break a bone or work harder to gain strength; they just had to know who to go to. The Bible says that it is in the joy of the Lord we find strength, not in the work we do. The truth is, sometimes, walking in our purpose can be very challenging, but in quietness and trust is our strength (Isaiah 30:15).
And to take this a little further, I will say that Jesus came to this world as the Savior of mankind. So here we see One Man who had the assignment to save the whole world by Himself. Yet Jesus often took some time away from the crowds and even His inner circle to recharge. Therefore, this also implies that Jesus would rather take some time to recharge so He could be effective in His work than to do mediocre work.
So, if this was Jesus’ strategy to fight the good fight of faith, then why should we feel guilty or worry about others’ opinions for being a follower of “The Way”
As I was preparing this article, another thing God drew my attention to is the scene where Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives right before He got arrested. Scripture says that “Being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” Luke 22:44. The questions that came to mind were: Since the disciples were asleep, who really witnessed this particular scene? Did Jesus tell them about it when they woke up? Or was Jesus still sweating like drops of blood when they finally woke up from their deep sleep? And the most important question is: Why did God find it necessary for us all to know about this sensitive moment Jesus went through, in the first place?
Is God trying to reveal to us the importance of intimacy with Him and how raw or genuine we can be with Him even in our most vulnerable moments?
The point of the matter is, if we are called to follow Jesus step by step, we must also be aware of how He handled the most terrifying moments of His mission. Therefore, I believe God’s servants are called to do the same when they need to recharge their spiritual tank and when overwhelmed by the weight of their purpose.
SCRIPTURES
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.” Psalm 62: 1
Leave a Reply