The pressures of ministry can often feel overwhelming. Thankfully, scripture does not leave us to ourselves to navigate times of uncertainty and the many crises we face in our faith. I can remember being twentysix years old when I sat in a vast auditorium in Minneapolis at a conference. The speaker shared from 2 Corinthians 4:1,“ Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” Twenty years ago, I had not yet weathered the storms of life or experienced the high demands of ministry. I had not yet felt the sting of people getting upset and leaving my church. I did not know what it was to manage expectations and resolve conflicts, yet that evening I intently listened to every word, and I hid 2 Corinthians 4:1 in my heart.
Little did I know how much I would need the truth of this verse when I would go completely blind at the age of thirty-eight in 2018. I had been training pastors in Central America when blood vessels burst behind my eyes, causing two failed surgeries and eventually leading to total blindness. At the time I went blind, my children were eight, six, two, and one. You can imagine the pressure this put on my wife and young family. How could I preach when I could not even read a Bible? How could I continue to lead a growing church without sight? It seemed there were more questions than answers, yet the greatest question I struggled with was how could God be good when life isn’ t? I had a choice to make. Either I would resign to a life of disability, or I would go forward in God’ s calling. I am so thankful to say I chose to go forward.
Why Satan Hinders Us
Paul used vivid imagery when he explained to the church of Thessalonica how Satan prevented him from visiting them.“ So we wanted to come to you— even I, Paul, time and again— but Satan hindered us”( 1 Thessalonians 2:18 HCSB). Satan is always opposing those in ministry. It is easy to forget how fierce spiritual warfare can be. This is why I appreciate the word Paul chose to use in describing how Satan hindered him. The Greek word is ené-kopsen. It means,“ to cut into, impede, detain, hinder,” like breaking up a path so travel is stopped.( Strong, James. Strong’ s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Greek # 1465).
In Paul’ s day, this was a military tactic. The strategy was to block approaching armies by digging deep trenches into the roadways, hindering their advancements. With this Greek word in view, it is easy to see why the NLT uses the word prevented, and the NIV uses the word blocked. Are you able to look back over your life and ministry and recognize the times Satan tried to hinder and prevent you? He constantly tried to frustrate the plans of Paul, and we are certainly no exception.
We Do Not Lose Heart
Warren Wiersbe once heard of a pastor’ s wife saying that she would love ministry if it wasn’ t for people. This is a sad perspective, because ministry is people. Oddly enough, it is people that can bring the most disappointment
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