Engine trouble?

Yesterday I posted on the danger of Christian ministry that is fueled by the need to secure a relationship with God rather than being fueled by enjoyment of a secure relationship with God.

Concluding;

The doctrine of justification is a life-changing one – when we grasp it and live by it. It transforms our relationship with God, it revolutionises our service of God and it inspires total dedication to God!

So how do I spot when ministry is a substitute for gospel joy. What are the tell tale signs that all is not right with the engine? Here are some things to look out for;

Five signs that your ministry is the working out of a secure relationship with Christ

1) You are happy to minister out of your relationship with God so that it doesn’t really matter whether anyone sees what you’re doing and applauds you for it.

2) You take as much delight or joy in the ministry of others as your own.

3) You are ready to be a risk-taker, happy to be seen to fail, because it’s not your reputation that is at stake.

4) You able to make sacrifices in your life for ministry because your life here and now seems a little less important to you.

5) You are ready to take on ministry not because it is the easiest, or most convenient or even best suited to you but because through it you can make a significant contribution at the time the church most needs it.

Five signs that your ministry is working for a secure relationship with Christ

6) You find that you are crushed if you are overlooked when an ‘important’ ministry opportunity arises.

7) You become bitter or resentful if in your ministry area responsibility is taken away from you and given to someone else.

8) You are concerned to promote or raise the profile of your ministry area out of all reasonable proportion and at the expense of others.

9) You are not concerned to raise up new, younger, leaders and to pray that they will do a better job than you and develop the ministry area further. You must be at the centre and ‘in charge’.

10) All of church life, as you live it, is really an PR exercise. Conversations over coffee, prayer meetings, e-mails to the pastor all serve the purpose of promoting you and your ministry.