Before I was on staff full-time, I thought, If only I were full-time, I could devote all my time to young people, but that was far from true at my first full-time position. Yes, I got to work with young people, but I also got to work with old people. I was put in charge of the shut-in visitation. I got to visit the hospitals and minister to all ages. I got to minister to the carpet and on many occasions function in the ministry of maintenance! I got to cut the grass, clean the windows, clean out the storage buildings, mop up stopped-up toilets and drains, serve lunch to the kids at the daycare, and lock and unlock the buildings. When I added all those duties to what I wanted and needed to do to minister to young people, I found myself saying the same thing as when I worked another job “I don’t have enough time to spend in ministry to young people!”
Many youth and children’s workers who work another job have more time to spend in actual children’s or youth ministry than those who hold full-time, salaried positions on the church staff.
Acts 18:1-3 tells us that even Paul the great apostle, missionary, and writer of most of the New Testament had to work a trade to make a living. He was a tentmaker. This was not a setback or a hindrance to this great man of God, but something He was proud of and glad he could do so that he was not a hardship on anyone. Having to make tents sure didn’t seem to slow Paul down in the work he did for God.
When I was a senior in Bible college, my pastor approached me about helping out at the church. He knew that my major was in Christian Education and that in a few months I would have a degree. The church needed help in this area. They were in the midst of a building program and were going to change their departmental approach to Sunday School (nine classes for toddlers, nursery, and adults) to a graded program which would include a total of 22 classes So I found myself with three months to design classrooms, find teachers and helpers for 12 new classes, as well as start a children’s church while I was finishing up a degree, working a job, and playing in a traveling Christian band.
My pastor didn’t promise a position. He didn’t promise a salary.He told me this “I’m going to give you a title and turn you loose. If you make yourself so valuable that lore can’t live without you, then I guess late can’t live without you.” That’s all I needed. I didn’t realize that he was acting on a spiritual principle that a man’s gift will make room for him. As you’re faithful where you are and develop and use your gift, you can expect promotion. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If you are faithful in the small things, you Sill be made a ruler over much. It’s not your title or position that gets the job done, it’s your faithfulness and using the gifts within you diligently that really count.
The only nay you can keep all the hats you must wear balanced when you are juggling a career and the ministry is to make sure your priorities are in order and keep them that way.
Before you can do something you must be something. Godly character comes from a personal, daily walk with God. You can’t really knower someone unless you spend time with them. You can never know God unless you are spending time with Him. No matter how busy you find yourself, you must put the Lord first.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that people in ministry are a lot like people who have a checking account. There are those who make a deposit first and then write checks. Then there are the other folks who write checks and run to the bank to make a deposit to cover the checks they’ve just written. It’s the same way in ministry. We must give out from what we have first deposited. We must get in the habit of ministering out of our overflow.
