2 Corinthians 4:7-10 says -
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
Ever felt hard-pressed? Perplexed? Persecuted? Struck down? Ever felt kind of… dead? If you are currently working in part time or full time ministry, then odds are you have definitely felt this way before. (If you haven’t, then perhaps you aren’t being totally honest with yourself.) Doesn’t it suck? I think one of the hardest parts about being discouraged in ministry is the fact that it’s so doggone hard to talk about it with other people. Pastors aren’t supposed to get discouraged. They aren’t supposed to get tired, worn out, bummed out, or burnt out. If you’re a “good” pastor, then all things in ministry are supposed to come naturally, easily, and freely. Right? Who the heck knows where this idea came from – it couldn’t possibly be from the Bible. The passage from 2 Corinthians is just one example of the apostle describing how tough it is to do ministry, for more examples pick any story from the New Testament about the life of the first Christians. Seriously, pick ANY story.
If at this point you’re thinking, “I can’t relate to this at all, ministry has always been easy for me,” then good for you! Why don’t you go start a mega-church, write a best seller, broadcast your inspiring sermons on national TV, and buy a vacation home in Aspen. However, if you’re a real human being and not a super-pastor, then there’s a great opportunity coming up to connect with other real human beings that lead real ministries. The Epic Fail Pastor’s conference, March 22nd-24th, is a uniquely humble and honest gathering of men and women in ministry who are coming together to be reminded that, “we’re not responsible for being ‘successful’ in ministry, but we are responsible for being faithful to the calling that God has laid out for us – regardless of the outcome.” (taken from the Epic Fail Pastor’s Conference website).
If finding a safe place amongst kindred spirits to stop acting like a rock-star minister and just be a normal human being sounds appealing to you, then check out the conference website here for more information.
