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Principles for Effective Ministry: 15 Things that I learned from Ministry
1. Private victories precede public victories or ministry
We need to have a consistent private victory
over sins and a consistent private close walk with God. Jesus had a regular
private time with God. Our ministry flows out from our secret walk with God.
Ministry is a result of our intimacy with God (Mark 1.35). In Martha and Mary’s
case, Martha put service before intimacy with God which resulted in frustration
and disappointment. Our ministry flows from our intimacy with God. We need to regularly
spend time with God in prayer, and the word of God and worship all alone. God should
minister to our hearts in our secret meeting with God. This is the foundation
of our ministry. Authority and power in ministry come from our intimate relationship
with Jesus. Consistent private walk with God over a long time is essential for
effective and long-lasting ministry. It is also an integral ingredient for your
ministerial growth and maturation.
2. Character precedes your gifts/ministry/skills
Character enhances your ministry gift or skill. Samson
had anointing and power but lacked character. A lack of character kills your
ministry. Unholy roots produce unholy fruits. Holy roots produce holy fruits.
We are called to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A high level of
transformation and Christ-like character are two prerequisites to carry a high
level of anointing or ministry.
3. Value the presence of God more than glamour
Ministry is all about the presence of God, not about us. The presence of God brings change, impact, and blessing and everything belongs to God
in our ministry. Do not love glamour, appreciation, and acceptance. Love and
value the presence of God in our ministry. We are carriers of the presence of
God and called to manifest his presence. If there is no presence of God moving
in your ministry, you will feel spiritual dryness. Remember, we gather around
the presence of Jesus whenever we meet together. Be extremely sensitive to the
presence of God. The presence of God is not something that we can lightly handle. Since
ministry is all about the presence of God, you should practice the presence of God regularly
and should know how to engage with the presence of God.
Ministry should not be performance or perfection-driven. It
should be completely driven by the presence of God and our passionate love for
God.
4. Love God more than titles/positions
Jesus asked Peter, do you love me? This reveals the heart of
God that God expects everyone to love him passionately from our hearts. Without
loving God, we cannot do a ministry that is pleasing to God. Many love ministry
more than God. Our love for God is a part of the foundation of our ministry.
Be a vessel that God can flow and touch others' life. Do not love titles. If so, if titles have been taken away, you will be disheartened or feel nothingness. If you love the title,
you will be entitled. Title lovers do not want to engage as a vessels of God.
They do not deliver any ministry but they need only titles. They cannot take
risks, sacrifice or move out of their comfort zone. They are not movers. They
remain as passive observers and opinion givers rather than allowing God to use
them as his vessels to touch people or serve people. Your identity is not your
title. You are a child of God. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on titles. Titles
come and go. Do not try to do ministry to become somebody before others.
Instead, love to become a vessel of God through whom God can touch people.
Serving God is a privilege that we need to do in God’s ways. Make sure that you
keep a servant's heart always.
5. Do what God wants to do through your ministry in each opportunity rather than what you want to do.
Do not equate what you want or think with what God wants or
thinks. We find out God’s heart through hearing God on a daily basis. We bring and
manifest God’s heart in our ministry. When we do this, we see the ways of God and the newness of God. Do not restrict the ways of God. We should be sensitive in this
area to make sure that we always do God’s will in our ministry.
6. People matter to God than your self-satisfaction
People come to the church as sons and daughters come to their
Father’s house. Church is our heavenly Father’s house. Jesus is always ready to
give the best to his people. Make sure that you become a real vessel of God by
which God serves what he wants to give to his people. Your ministry is not
about your personal interest, agenda or satisfaction. Your ministry should
bring blessing to the people of God to whom you minister. You stand in church (in
whatever capacity) on behalf of Jesus to serve God’s people in the way Jesus
wants to serve his children. You are in ministry to give what Jesus wants to
give to His people.
7. Do not forget you are always in the process of becoming mature.
All of us who are involved in ministry are in the process of
maturation. Do not think you are already grown up and nothing is left to learn
or progress. Maturation comes through direction and correction. If you are not
willing to be corrected, mentored, and directed, you will hinder your own growth
and also God’s purpose to advance his Kingdom in the local community. The immaturity of ministers (whatever role or capacity) brings great damage to themselves, to others, and to the Kingdom of God. Do not forget that God appointed your
leaders to lead you to maturity. Your ability to take negative feedback from
others will have a great role in determining your growth.
8. Ministry should bring unity and love.
We do ministry in our heavenly Father’s house and among our
spiritual brothers and sisters. When you are God-filled and Spirit-controlled,
your ministry brings unity and love to your community (Eph.4.13). Unity or oneness of disciples is the desire of
Jesus and he prayed for the same in John 17. Division comes from demonic
influence. Know the swings of your heart. The Devil influenced Judas, Peter,
Ananias, and Saphira to sin. Know and discern your swings or ill feelings of your
heart. Discern yourself. Judas spoke and acted against his own leader and
Saviour by demonic influence. Do not speak negatively about anyone around you
including your leader. Do not pitch a person against another. Do not make
groups. We are one. We belong to one Father. Take a willful effort to bring unity
to the Father’s house.
9. Stay in what God has called to do
Do not try to do everything in the Kingdom of God. If you
try to do what God has not entrusted upon you, you will hurt yourself and
others like Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26:16-20. Stay within your call and
anointing. Do not imitate anyone. Do not try to do or imitate something because
someone is successful in something. Stay within your call, gifting and
anointing. Grow within your ministry. Growth will take time. No natural or
spiritual people are born as mature being.
Do not try to take or do someone’s ministry. Stay within your
call. Korah and the group wanted to take Aaron’s ministry (Numbers 16). But it led to
their destruction. The point is to stay within your call and divine assignment.
10. Your anointing grows when you flow with your leader and team (Ps.133)
Your association matters a lot to grow in your anointing.
God flourishes people under his servants like Joshua under Moses, Elijah under
Elisha, and disciples under Jesus. Right association with your leader is essential
to grow in your ministry anointing. Moreover, we also need to learn to work in
a team as we do ministry. None of us are above anyone. We all are equal. We
need to submit, respect, obey, cooperate, and help one another in ministry. We
need to stand by our common agreements and ethos with one heart. Rebellion and
groups will only bring self-destruction and damage to the Kingdom of God (Numbers
16).
Submission to your leader is not an option in Christian ministry,
but it is the way of God. There are times that we may not understand our
leaders, even we may feel that leaders are not in favor of us, not taking our suggestions
and not allowing us to do things. The fact is that many times the follower may not
be able to see what leaders can see in an organization. God’s way of working together
is to follow your leader, not grumbling against them or speaking against them.
As we do ministry, we do it as a team. Every team will have their own common ethos, expectations, agreements or guidelines. Everyone needs to follow them to maintain a healthy team spirit and ministry atmosphere. Do not try to get your way in your ministry and with the team. Try to flow with team understanding. When you do not follow such guidelines or expectations, you are putting your leader and other team members in disturbance and difficulty. Better flow with everyone in the spirit of unity and love.
As we do ministry, we do it as a team. Every team will have their own common ethos, expectations, agreements or guidelines. Everyone needs to follow them to maintain a healthy team spirit and ministry atmosphere. Do not try to get your way in your ministry and with the team. Try to flow with team understanding. When you do not follow such guidelines or expectations, you are putting your leader and other team members in disturbance and difficulty. Better flow with everyone in the spirit of unity and love.
11. Being kingdom-minded in difficult times
The benefit of God’s Kingdom should be the sole aim of you as
you are involved in ministry, not any personal interest or agenda. A Kingdom mindset
helps us to understand and prioritize what is the common vision, purpose, and
values. Kingdom mindset focuses on the interests of people or community and the purposes
of God.
Misunderstanding and differences can creep into any team at any
time. Most of the time, conflicts and differences among believers bring
definite spiritual setbacks and damage to the Kingdom of God and the purposes of
God. But your kingdom mindset makes sure that you do not damage the Kingdom of
God or bring any setback to the Kingdom of God or people of God especially
leaders through your actions and words in difficult times. Do not act carnally
/ soulish way in difficult times. Do not be caught up with your pain,
disappointment, pressure, anger, or any other feelings. If so, you will not be
able to apply God’s principles in difficult times. A kingdom mindset brings
forgiveness, love, and unity. Kingdom mindset is all about giving away your
rights for the sake of the Kingdom's advancement. Kingdom mindset is all about
healing relationships, not breaking, hurting, and bringing wounds into
relationships. We are called to be God’s kingdom builders, not kingdom
destroyers. Make sure that you are not an instrument in the devil’s hand to bring
back setbacks to the Kingdom of God.
12. Ministry is all about doing things in the Spirit.
Christian ministry is something that we need to do in the
Holy Spirit or spirit realm. Two things, firstly, our inner spirit man should
constantly grow and be strengthened. This is very important to hear God,
develop intimacy with God, and be sensitive to God. Secondly, we need to
constantly fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit who is our counselor, teacher,
guide, leader, and helper. We are called to engage and manifest the supernatural.
This will happen only when we are able to do ministry in Spirit. We should
receive Spirit movements, direction, and power as we engage in ministry on every
occasion. Walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and minister in the Spirit. The success of our ministry depends upon our spiritual ability to receive things
from God and give them to others in the power of the Holy Spirit. Ministry is
not copy and paste business, it is receiving from God and giving to his people in
Spirit. If Jesus, disciples, David, and all other men of God needed the Holy Spirit,
how much more we need the Holy Spirit in us.
13. Ministers need to be ministered first, then congregation.
There is an egocentric self-deception among several pastors,
worship leaders, prophets, and others who are involved in different kinds of
ministry that they do not need to receive ministry but they are called to minister
to others always. None of us should come to the church with this attitude like
Peter who resisted Jesus when he was
trying to wash Peter’s feet. We come to the church gathering around Jesus who
is ready to minister to everyone including so-called ministers, Pastors, worship
leaders, elders, prophets, and all other leaders and ministers. Know the fact
that without you receiving, you cannot give. If you are not ministered by
Jesus, how can you minister to others?
14. Be patient with people
All of us are so precious to Jesus. We all are becoming
mature children of God. Christ-likeness is growing in us. We all are imperfect
people who are in the process of perfection in Christ. People whom you serve or
in your team may respond sometimes emotionally and immature way. It may disturb
you and create all kinds of emotions in you to respond back. Remember, if anyone
around you is going or responding in a disagreeing way or emotionally or
unaccepted way, you need to keep patience and long-suffering. A quick response
in an emotionally charged situation will aggravate the situation rather than bring a
solution. We need to hold our responses and soak them in prayer. Be patient
with people and situations. Do not be aggressive when things are not ok. Calm
down. Take control of your thoughts, actions, and words; soak them in love and
prayer. The words that we utter/send to others can not be taken back. Always speak
healing words and words that impart grace to others.
Disagreement should be addressed and talked out with patience
and love. Do not keep your issues with anyone under the carpet, it is like a
sleeping snake. Resolve issues. Forgive people. Reconcile with people. Give up
things. Do not try to win your side or position or point and let Christ win
through you. Do not compete with anyone. Take things easy with people. Do not
take everything that is happening around you and sensitize in your heart. Do
not allow everything to go to your heart and disturb your heart. Maintain the peace
of God in your heart in every situation. Be secure in Christ. Do not stuck with
issues. Move on in Christian love. All of us belong to the same Father and the same
heaven eternally. Always keep your heart pure because God stays in our hearts.
Remember, you will damage the kingdom of God, the people of God, and yourself if you are over-possessed with your pain, disappointments,
frustrations with others, anger, unforgiveness, inner wounds, and brokenness.
Deal with you before God before you try to deal with others or situations.
Captivate yourself first for the Kingdom of God.
15. Keep your heart motives pure.
When you do ministry, God looks at your intentions. While a person
ministering, it is easy to slip into ungodly intentions such as self-promotion, boasting,
going after popularity and appreciation, name, building, love of money, etc. God
wants us to do a ministry with a clean heart. As we do ministry, our hearts should
be filled with love, compassion, and brokenness for others. We should feel it
and embrace it deeply. This is an important foundation for ministry. We need a
heart of humility, humbleness, submission, and meekness, not arrogance and agitation.
We need to carry a heart of God as we are involved in ministry. God should glorify
in our ministry, not us.
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