Have you ever felt like you just wanted to give up on your ministry? ( Lightstock )

By my warped standards, it was not a good day. After nearly nine years serving as president and CEO of LifeWay, I have learned that criticisms are a part of the life and leadership I have. But the critics on this particular day seemed more numerous and more unrealistic in their expectations.

I’d had enough. I wasn’t sure I wanted another day of this job.

One of the members of my executive team came into my office. He, too, had had a rough day. I was no help to him. When he asked me if I thought it was all worth it, I cynically responded, “I’m not so sure.”

How stupid could I be? Thousands of people would trade places with me in a heartbeat. I am blessed beyond measure. Yet I was whining, complaining about something so relatively small. And even worse, I was offering no hope to one of my own leaders. My leadership stunk! I was ashamed of myself.

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I have given myself these four reminders in the past, but I needed to rehearse them again:

1. We who are in ministry have been blessed by our calling. We have been called to serve Christ and His followers. God chose us for this calling not because we deserved it, but just because He chose to do so. He never promised us an easy path. But He did promise us He would never leave us alone in our calling. What an incredible blessing.

2. God loves those who sometimes make our ministries difficult. I don’t want to be Jonah in Nineveh. I don’t want to be angry at the world and the people I have been called to love and to serve. My Savior has put up with a lot more garbage from me. I want to learn how to love those who seem unloving. I want to learn to love unconditionally. That’s what Jesus does. That’s what I should do.

3. Those in ministry who dwell on the problems rather than count their blessings will always be miserable. I know. I have been that person too many times. I am asking God this day to give me the strength and priorities to focus on the incredible ways I am blessed. I plan truly to count my many blessings.

4. I must keep my eyes more firmly focused on the resurrected Lord. When I am more consistent in my prayer life, I am more focused on Him. When I am in the Word daily, I am more focused on Him. When I seek to put others before myself, I am more focused on Him. When I share the gospel with others, I am more focused on Him. When I seek to minister in His name, I am more focused on Him.

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Yes, I may think I had a bad day. But the reality is that I am serving a great God in a great calling at a great time. I must learn to be a man of gratitude rather than a man of complaints and negativity.

Not too long ago, I heard from a man who was fired from his church. He was still unemployed. He stated simply that he longs to be back in a church with critics, messy ministry and 24/7 availability. But he didn’t know how good he had it until he lost it all.

May I offer I word of exhortation, a word of encouragement? Don’t be like me. Negative. Complaining. Ready to give it up over nothing.

Instead, be like those men and women who minister faithfully every day, who rejoice in their callings, who focus on the blessings God has given them, who long to serve others instead of whining about little problems here and there.

God called you. God blessed you. He will strengthen you. He will sustain you. He will give you great victories.

Focus on the resurrected Lord.

And the greatest days of your ministry will be just around the corner.

Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Previously, he served the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 12 years, where he was a founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism.

For the original article, visit thomrainer.com.

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