Have you ever felt like perhaps you were God’s last choice? Perhaps there is a ministry standing before you that there are others who are obviously better suited for and better prepared for the challenge. But no one steps forward, the urgency of the hour takes over and you step up to fill the gap. Obviously, you become the focus of attention for all interested persons on all sides… and there are always sides. Strangely enough the pastors and church leaders, who should care the most and who should be the best equipped with their Master or Doctorate degrees of Theology or Counseling, are silent and invisible. Then at the first hint of struggle, and without an offer of support or guidance, the very ones who should have lead the fight in the first place become the critics of the willing, passionate obedient servant.
This is not an unfamiliar story in the body of Christ. Christians with burning hearts, who are called by God to fill the gap of a neglected ministry, find they are not only without the support of church leadership but they are also unappreciated and often criticized by them. There may well be a day coming when snickering of “He hasn’t been a Christian long enough…” or “She is too young to understand…” may be words of “WE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!”
There is an old saying that when people get older they get SET IN THEIR WAYS. In the church it should be said that when people get older they get SET IN GOD’S WAYS! Our church leaders must have a passion for the things of the Lord. If they lose the passion for the Lord’s work they should no longer be leaders or pastors regardless of their ability, experience or education. When leaders lose their passion for the ministry they become ‘passion extinguishers’ and make sure that they put it out in everyone else around them. Passion is like poison to the leader who only performs his or her role out of duty or obligation.
New churches grow because they have passion not because they have experienced leadership or pastors. The success of many of the ‘church plants’ today causes other church leaders to scratch their heads in disbelief. The pastors and leadership of these new churches are often inexperienced and are usually inadequately funded. But these successful ‘church plants’ have something in common, a passion for the Lord’s work. Without passion the purpose will not be transmitted with enough conviction to cause people to prioritize their faith. They will be part of their faith instead of their faith being part of them!
So let’s be ‘passion promoters’ instead ‘passion extinguishers.’ If I had to choose between experience and passion I’ll take passion every time. By the way, the very best is educated, experienced pastors and leaders with passion! It just seems to be a hard combination to find.
So when the work of the ministry needs to be done and no one seems to step forward to do it, each of us must decide if we are the ‘last choice’ or ‘last chance.’ The important thing is that we never let disappointment or the wounds of a critic take away our passion to serve the Lord. We must continue to be moved by the value and urgency of the lost soul. Perhaps… man’s last choice is God’s first choice!
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