When you face ministry obstacles that produce hurts and scars in your life, it becomes very easy to become disenchanted with the local church. One of the my daily prayer requests during my toughest time in ministry as a pastor was that when it was all said and done that I would have an even greater love for my calling as a pastor and for the local church. I am so thankful that the Lord answered both of those prayers.
When Paul went through a very tough ministry experience that landed him in prison, he wrote his letter to the Philippian Church that was all about joy. It's hard to have joy in ministry when you are going through unfair and/or untrue accusations and hardships. That is why I think every hurting pastor ought to sink their teeth into this four chapter book that the Spirit of God inspired the Apostle Paul to write during his ministry trial.
In chapter one of this book we see that Paul's obstacles in ministry did not diminish his love for the church. In verses 3-6 we see that Paul continued to have the church in his MIND. In verses 7-8 we see that Paul continued to have the church in his HEART. In verses 9-11 we see that Paul continued to have the church in his PRAYERS. Over my next several posts I will talk about each of these and we will discover that even in the most difficult times of ministry, the local church is still worth it! Three cheers for the church!
Be sure to read my other blog at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.
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