We can be certain of God, even if we are uncertain of the next step he wants us to take. We can be certain of God’s plan for us, even if we are uncertain of the specific details. Even though we’re uncertain, we can be confident God will not disappoint us (Romans 5:5).
You may have noticed that the most common biblical metaphors for ministry are drawn from the world of agriculture: sowing, watering, harvesting. Agriculture is slow. God is patient. Most of the time, he works out his purposes gradually. He is comfortable with seasons, years, and generations. For me, a month is a long time. My time frame is days, minutes, seconds.
“It is natural, when under criticism, to shield your heart from pain by belittling the critics in your mind. “You stupid idiots.” Even if you don’t speak outwardly to people like Moses did, you do so inwardly. That will lead to self-absorption, self-pity, maybe even delusions of grandeur, but the great sin is that the growth of inner disdain leads to pride and a loss of humble reliance on God’s grace.”
Like swords, books have symbolic power. Like fireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth. And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful backup for when the lights go out.
–Challies
The two cardinal sins of leadership:
1.) Mistaking giftedness for spiritual maturity. Many young leaders are thrust into positions of leadership way too early in their Christian walk because of their evident giftedness. But spiritual giftedness is not the same as spiritual maturity. Gifts are received; maturity is something you grow into over a period of time.
2.) Mistaking fruitfulness for holiness. Successful ministry is not measured by numeric indicators. When Christ addressed the seven churches in Revelation, he did not commend the larger churches and rebuke the smaller ones. Instead, he hit at the heart of character, faith, endurance, compromise, idolatry, and immorality.
—Adapted from Michael Oh
“Years ago, I asked Jim Downing, one of the patriarchs of the Navigator work, “Why is it that so few men finish well?” His response was profound. He said, “They learn the possibility of being fruitful without being pure… they begin to believe that purity doesn’t matter. Eventually, they become like trees rotting inside that are eventually toppled by a storm.”
Jojo Agot 