Three Ministry Maxims to Live By (and Two to Live Without)

Anyone who’s spent any time playing bingo with their grandparents or browsed in an Amish gift shop knows that pithy quotes are readily abundant and easily accessible; who doesn’t need “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” embroidered on a pillow anyway? These quotes become a form of shorthand for life advice. You know what they say:

“A Stitch in Time Saves Nine”

“This too shall pass”

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”

The ubiquitous “they” also has much to say on the concept of ministry, and we can uncritically follow the same advice if we’re not careful. No doubt you’ve probably heard (or said) to someone going through a difficult time, “Everything happens for a reason,” yet our insight into the problem at hand ends exactly at the conclusion of that statement. We could be forgiven if we pulled that out in the good times:

“Hey! I found five bucks in the parking lot!”

“Well, everything happens for a reason!”

But we don’t, because there’s no great theological explanation for finding a fiver outside the local Aldi. Regardless, some shorthand sayings can be helpful in the context of ministry. So here are three that I have found helpful, and two you should lose…like the five bucks someone at Aldi is missing right now:

Helpful:
“Pray to God and keep your powder dry.”

God expects maximum effort in the calling of our lives. “But, but,” you may protest, “God says He will fight for us, we need only to be still.” Sure, that’s an option, but we need to be really careful with how and where we apply Scripture verses:

“Psalm 23. That should fix it.”

This saying originated with Oliver Cromwell, but the general meaning is to be engaged as much as you possibly can, while leaving the ultimate results (as well as the things you can't control) in the hands of God. I have no control over the world economy, but I can save money and make good financial choices, so in the event of recessions or other economic hardships, my family can make it through.

Not Helpful:
“When God Closes a Door, He Opens a Window.”

Sounds awfully drafty in this house, which sounds very un-Dad-like in regards to the thermostat. God is not interested in thwarting our plans simply for His own personal amusement. True, our plans may turn out differently, but that has little to do with God enacting His own holy fire drill in our lives.

"In retrospect, I should have built a larger window."

We need (and will get) constant reminders that the control we wield over our own lives is quite limited, and assigning ultimate responsibility to what may or may not be happening in someone’s life to God’s direct activity is inaccurate at best.

Helpful:
“Silence is Golden in Seasons of Sorrow (and Duct Tape is Silver)”

I know, someone you care about is hurting, and you want to do something about it. We want to fix the problem. So, in our efforts to fix things, we can say things that make the situation be, and the person feel, much worse. Next time, try to simply be present for the person, holding your tongue in the midst of their sorrow. Many of my best attempts at consoling people have been done with exactly zero words.

Some assembly may be required.

Not Helpful:
“God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle”

According to whom? This sounds like God knows precisely how much torture to inflict upon you, but won’t go beyond your personal limit. I’ve been told this before, and I have actively squashed the impulse to tell someone who's life is going swimmingly at the moment that God must think they can’t handle very much of anything right now. John the Baptist was a faithful servant of God but was ultimately beheaded for his ministry.

Guess what? More than he could handle.

Helpful:
“Don’t Reject God (Even When Your Theology Tells You To)” 

The simplest way to define theology is what you think about God. Crises of faith come when God acts or the world moves or life happens in a way that clashes with our theology. In a world where the good die young and the bad die old and possibly rich, what do we do with a God who will even out the ground? (Isaiah 40:4). Christ never changes (Hebrews 13:5), but our theology must, recognizing that there are seasons where the relationship between you and God will shift, but the love of God towards you will never shift. Continue to look to God in all circumstances, good and bad.

After all, this too shall pass.