Deepening Your Ministry Through Prayer and Personal Growth

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Most of us in ministry have the same set of ego issues as people in any other profession. We just have a different way of keeping score.
—John Ortberg

Mayor Richard J. Daley, who was as celebrated in Chicago for his malaprops as for his ability to get votes out of corpses, once said of his opponents, "They have vilified me, they have crucified me, yes, they have even criticized me."

Mayor Daley could have been speaking for those of us in ministry. Whether it's politics or the pastorate, not everyone will believe we're wonderful. Criticism, especially "friendly fire," can pull the plug on our motivation and energy. Generally we pastors have a fairly high need to be liked. While not a bad thing, the need for strokes can set us up to have difficulty dealing with criticism.

But if the actions of Jesus and the prophets are any indication, then giving effective spiritual leadership will surely mean doing things that displease the very people whose approval we desire. For most of us, it's only a matter of time (and usually not very much time) before the people we're supposed to serve have vilified, crucified, or even criticized us.

Our strong reaction to such criticism reveals, I believe, a serious addiction problem. It has nothing to do with substance abuse or chemical dependency. It is, rather, a craving for approval. Its primary symptom: the tendency to confuse my "performance in ministry" with my worth as a person; to seek the kind of approval from people that can only satisfy when it comes to God.

This addiction has been around at least as long as the church. Paul thunders against it to the Galatians: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? … If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" ...

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