5 Reasons to Embrace Complimentary Ministries
If you’re a ministry leader, you have probably found yourself expanding way beyond your comfort zone. You are focused in one area of ministry (after all, it’s your calling). But soon, another area of ministry starts to demand your attention. I call them “complimentary ministries.”
These demands are usually helpful to your main ministry, but different. They aren’t always consistent. Sometimes they are only temporary. Other times, they permanently become part of your ministry life.
This used to drive me crazy. Being able to cover one ministry area is challenging enough. When other needs started presenting themselves, my first instinct was to put on the brake.
Not any more.
Here are my 5 reasons to embrace these complimentary ministry opportunities:
-
Change Brings Prayer Time – When I find myself in expansion mode, I also find myself investing in more time with God. Jesus spent hours with God during his ministry. It should be no different for me.
-
Comfort is Dangerous – Our Christian life isn’t meant to be one of comfort. Plans change. Ministries evolve. Paul understood this well (read Romans 1:8-15; 15:14-33).
-
Different Timetables – God operates on an entirely different framework than we do. His eternal perspective is one we can’t fully grasp (yet). What we see as an “interruption” or “one more thing” is often future planning for Him.
-
Help with the Balancing Act – When things get crazy at our home, my personal frustration builds. Unfortunately, it took years for me to realize the place to take it all was straight-up to Him. He is trustworthy. I just need to let Him be who He is, and I need to trust Him to help me find balance.
-
Painful but Good – Complimentary ministries often enhance our main calling. Speaking enhances the writing ministry, writing enhances a nonprofit ministry, and so on. Not always pain-free, but growth happens.
Have you faced this challenge? What have you learned along the way? Feel free to share your story in the Comments.
Thank you for stopping by. Be sure to subscribe, if you’d like. And don’t forget to grab your FREE sample of my new study, “I Call You Mine: Embracing God’s Gift of Adoption.” It launches on September 10, 2018. Pre-order at your favorite book retailer or HERE.
