Cultivating a Ministry Without Regrets
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Run your race
“God sets our course before us, and no two courses are alike. Try your best not to waste your time being envious of other people’s life and lifestyle. Or other people’s church situation and yours. You’re in the one God’s called you to be in. That’s your course. Run it to the end, as long as God leaves you there. Remember the words of Hebrews 12, that we are to “run the race that is set before us.” We don’t set our race. God sets the course and we run it.”
A ministry without regrets
“What a comfort this must have been for Paul as he writes Timothy. “The faith I have kept.” What a marvelous, marvelous statement to make. Make sure you fight the good fight. Make sure that you not only run the race, but you finish the course. Make certain that when you are declaring the message, you’re telling the truth. What can you be sure of when you develop a ministry like that? A ministry without regrets.”
The great life of ministry
“Please believe me. You’re entering into the greatest life on the planet as you enter into ministry. Give it all you’ve got. Go hard after it. Stay strong in the midst of trial. Seal your lips to complaints. Don’t use your pulpit as your couch. They don’t come to hear about you, they come to hear about the Savior, His Word, His truth. Deliver it to them. And do so every time you open your mouth.”
Fight the good fight
“In your ministry there will be fights. Choose them carefully. Choose your fights carefully. When you come across one that’s worth fighting, stay on your feet and fight to the end. You may be the only one around that’s fighting that fight. And you may be for others the point of strength they need to look up to. Choose your battles carefully. Otherwise, all you’ll do is fight. Make sure they’re good fights, that all those struggles were worth the struggle.”
Proclaim and live by the truth
“This faith represents a body of truth that you are committed to and is committed to you when you are ordained into ministry. This body of truth is to be delivered, it’s to be treasured, it’s to be proclaimed. You will have no regrets if you cultivate a reputation for reliability. People ought to be able to say when they come to hear you speak or to preach, they are going to hear the truth proclaimed. It’s truth you live by and truth you believe to the very core of your being. I often say, “As you pack your bags, make sure you pack into those bags solid truth,” because that’s what people rely on you for. Provide solid meals.”
About the author
Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.
