Ministry is an extreme sport. Think about it. It can get tough on you, you could sustain some serious injuries, emotional, psychological, and spiritual ones. Your body could shut down as well! It can be thrilling and adrenaline-fueled. You can live the highest highs and the lowest lows.
Knowing you’re not alone facing these battles and that they can actually be overcome should bring comfort. You are not alone.
Abraham wasn’t always certain of what he was doing, Jacob wrestled with God, or was it against Him? Moses was ready to call it quits a few times. The apostles often didn’t get it and one of them was a thief! Ministry comes with its load of hardships and struggles, which are often either overlooked or under-spoken about. All this to say, that ministry is not always an easy thing to master.
Here are 7 struggles that are not talked about enough. Yet, we see Bible characters face these realities.
1. You’re Facing Doubts About God
You have heard of Doubting Thomas. It’s not that he didn’t want to believe, but that he wanted evidence for his beliefs. He is known for this specific moment when the disciples say they saw the risen Savior, to which he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” (John 20:25 NLT).
Doubts are an ever-present reality throughout biblical history. Sarah didn’t believe she could give birth in her old age (Genesis 18:10-15). Gideon doubted God could help Israel win the war against the Midianites (Judges 6:36-40). Zechariah doubted an angel (Luke 1:18), and so did Mary, mother of Jesus (Luke 1:34). Even John the Baptizer, who declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God, had his moments. The Passion Translation gives us insight into his last living days when he asks, “Are you the coming Messiah we’ve been expecting, or are we to continue to look for someone else?” (Luke 7:20).
Doubting can be part of a process of growth and discovery. All the above “doubters” got their answer and reward from God.
2. You Confuse Devotion and Vocation
For people in ministry, pastors especially, the Bible is a tool for work. Often, the professional ministerial job takes over your personal devotional life. Using the right tool for the wrong circumstances calls for a major breakdown.
You read this remarkable passage, the Holy Spirit communicates to YOU, and boom, you wrote a 3-point message for the church. You watch a great talk on Youtube, and it becomes your devotional to your team. The Pharisees did precisely that, and their words were powerless. As Mark 1:22 (NIV) notes, “The people were amazed at (Jesus’s) teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”
Scripture and prayer time then becomes a function of your role and not a filling up of your soul. Your devotion is attached to your relationship with Christ, your vocation is tied to your calling.
The two are different, and confusing them brings you to serving at a deficit.
3. You Serve at Credit
When John and Peter go to the temple for prayer, they come across someone begging for money. Peter’s answer is, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (Acts 4:6 NLT). This account is not about the money. They can’t give what they don’t have. But they can give what they do have. A fresh relationship with the Savior is what they have, His power they can give.
Investing time in your relationship with Christ can look like praying for things you wouldn’t if you weren’t a pastor and reading a Bible version you don’t use for preaching!
As a spiritual leader, you can only give what you have and shouldn’t give what you don’t. Running on empty with a car brings disastrous results. So does ministering at credit. It comes with some heavy interests like burnout, stress, and anxiety.
4. Your Stress Levels are Off the Charts
75% of pastors report being “extremely stressed” or “highly stressed.” Though situational stress can be expected, systematic anxiety is not. Tight finances, emotional turmoil, and long hours are all stress factors.
Stress often happens when you carry heavier than expected weights or burdens you’re not meant to carry. If you add repetitive overuse, you can get what is called a stress fracture. If it happens to a bone, you need a doctor. If it happens to your spirit, you may need a professional counselor or a spiritual coach.
Jesus prays for his disciples, those that follow him and believe in him, and says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.” (John 14:27 HCSB). He is the same Jesus that says, “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 GNT).
5. You Misinterpret Newton’s 3rd Law
Newton’s 3rd law in science is known as the action-reaction principle, defined by this: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” You press the gas pedal to move forward (action), tires grip the road that moves backward (opposite reaction). Press hard, move fast. Press lightly, move slowly. Some interpret Galatians 6:7 “A man reaps what he sows” (NIV) as the SAME and EQUAL spiritual law. The two concepts are different, though. One is about science and the law of nature, while the other is a spiritual principle.
The mix-up happens when you believe that if you sow faithfulness (action), you will reap growth (reaction), or if you sow fervor with God (action), you will automatically have a harvest of greater impact (reaction). You believe in action-reaction in spiritual terms. But that’s not it! If such was the case, you would get an “opposite reaction,” as the 3rd law says. If such were the case, you would sow mercy (action) and reap cruelty (opposite reaction)!
The struggle then comes when you look at other pastors’ growing influence and want the same, believing that their faithful serving develops in success. I’ve struggled with this one often, and from who I know, many Christian leaders do as well. They are issues with this which makes the struggles real.
It is very self-centered. If “I” ABC, then God will XYZ. But God isn’t a button or a vending machine. Another leader’s harvest season can’t and shouldn’t be compared to another’s season of investing. Plus, if you keep reading Galatians, you would also understand that if you sow from the flesh, you can’t reap anything spiritual. It is not an action-reaction principle but a call to submit to the Spirit of God to live out His kingdom on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
6. You Find It Hard to Deal with the 3 “G”s
I was taught those in Bible college. Be careful about the 3 “G”s: girls, gold, and glory. You may want to put it in other words nowadays. Leaders struggle with porn, money, and fame.
A BARNA STUDY states that 57% of pastors and 64% of youth pastors admit they have struggled with porn, either currently or in the past. Porn is not the only thing. Living out an affair or having emotional affairs online also exists. Having an accountability partner and computer filters surely can help.
Lack of money or even wanting more of it can become an obsession for some. It’s not so much about stealing money from the offering plate (if that still exists!) as much as having money matters dictating your decisions.
Fame. How many followers you have or “likes” you get on your posts is a struggle for many ministry leaders. Yet, the desire to be known, or at least acknowledged in the crowd, is a human want. The disciples faced this when John and James demanded, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mark 10:37 NASB). Jesus may have been famous, yet, not by pursuing fame and glory but rather by offering life eternal and purpose.
7. You Feel Alone
After defeating the 400 false prophets at Mount Carmel, Elijah found himself in a cavern where God met him. The Message poetically renders His question to the prophet: “So Elijah, what are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:9). His answer comes quickly when he states that every other prophet has been killed and Israel has departed from God “I am the only one left” (1 Kings 19:10 NLT). Elijah believes he’s alone. Left in solitude and isolation, he asks for death.
For many, feeling alone is such a reality in leadership. It can get lonely at the top. No one to share these struggles with, no community group in which you can be totally open and transparent. Yet, James 5:18 (AMP) says “Confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored.” I would add struggles in there.
You’re easy prey for the enemy when you find yourself in a dry spiritual state. Perhaps, finding a community leadership group, counselor, mentor, or coach to confess those hardships should become a priority. Then, you can see restoration and healing.
These may be 7 struggles of ministry that aren’t talked about enough. And yet, they’re real. So reach out, keep out of isolation, talk about it, and maybe those struggles will be part of your past history, not your present situation.
