Article Library

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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Count on His Unfailing Presence

“You’re being watched by an unbelieving world. You’re going to encounter unreasonable people. You got to be ready to endure some unjust treatment. Because of that, you’ll need to cultivate unusual patience, but you can count on His unfailing presence and protection. ‘The Lord is my shepherd. I have no need of want.’ ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.’ That great aria in Handel’s Messiah, sung by the contralto in that marvelous piece, ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. And he will take you in his arms and he will carry you and he will hold you.’”

Let Your Life Be a Battleground, not a Playground

“For the Gentile, the world is a playground. For you and me, it’s a battleground. So we have to learn how to live in the battleground surrounded by people who see it as a playground. And that’s the constant pull of the culture. And the great temptation is to make the battleground a playground for us. And to be so comfortable in it, so identified with it, there’s no difference between them and us.”

Be Authentic

“Your meaningful ministry starts in the living of your life away from the pulpit. And it’s remarkable how real people will be when you are real with them. They’re looking for authenticity, not perfection. They know you’re not perfect. So when you blow it, you admit you’ve blown it. When you’re a little impatient, you talk about how you’re a little impatient. When whatever happens, whatever happens, you say, yeah, that’s true. That’s part of it.”

Expect Unjust Treatment

“Unreasonable people will give you unjust treatment. Be ready to endure unjust treatment. We live in a society where people don’t simply get mad. They get even. You can cultivate that if you’re not careful. The pulpit can easily become a hammer. Guard against that. Learn to conduct your life in a spirit of grace. Learn the pleasure of surprising those who have treated you unjustly. Because you’re ready for it, you know ahead of time it’s going to happen, it doesn’t derail you.”

Worry Leads to a Miserable Ministry

If you want to cultivate a miserable ministry, here’s a good list to follow. Number one, worry a lot. Worry a lot. Every day, worry over something. Good way to start is to go first to the newspaper, and at the end of the day, watch the evening news. Any one of the networks, any one of them. Watch any of them regularly, and it will help you worry. Drag from your memory banks the failures of the past, the weaknesses of your life, the disappointments in others. Regret fuels worries. So spend a lot of time in regretting. That’s all part of a worry world. Worry a lot.”

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach The Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your fingertips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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