Stalled - Hope And Help For PastorsSample

There is a short video by Bob Hamp, a counselor from the Dallas area, called “The Problem Jesus Came to Solve.” Bob gave one simple illustration that had a great impact on me, and I want to share it with you.

Bob suggested that God’s interaction with Adam at creation might have gone like this: God said to Adam, “I’ll run the heavens; you run the earth. Everything will work perfectly as long as you stay connected to Me.” God intended to get His kingdom plans operating in the earth by flowing through us.

This illustration got my attention. It confronted my belief that I needed to do things for God. We even see Jesus saying in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 NIV).

Bob went on to say that I can’t do things for God because there is nothing God needs. And if God did need anything, it would be quite presumptuous for me to think I could provide it. He said that God intended for me to do things from Him. Let that sink in for a moment …

God’s original design was for me to do things from Him, not for Him.

To do things from Him is to let the Holy Spirit speak to me and then to obey His direction. Each of us was created with a specific purpose and the gifts necessary to fulfill this purpose. As we grow in intimacy with Jesus, we develop the ability to hear His voice more clearly. Therefore, we react to His direction with reflex obedience. Doing ministry from Him gives freshness to our daily walk with the Lord. It flows from choosing the one essential thing—enjoying His presence.

The pressure to perform went out the window as I embraced that God’s design for me was to do things from Him, not for Him. It has never been, nor will it ever be, my responsibility to change someone’s life. Only He can do that. Do you see how ministry-changing this concept can be?

Maybe the problem you're facing is not so much about what is happening around you. What if the problem is more about what is happening in you? If that’s true, then it’s wonderful news because now you can do something about it.

Let this concept sink in. The megaministry down the street is not your problem. A lack of resources is not your problem. No other outside issue is the real problem. The real problem is that we have stopped believing that Jesus can do anything through us. Pastor now would be a good time to remember that He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20 NKJV, emphasis added).

Effective ministry is more about what Jesus can do through us than what we can do for Him. Our churches are in desperate need of leaders who no longer minister for Jesus but instead minister from Jesus.

Nothing is more fulfilling than ministering with God’s power driving the results.

---

Did you enjoy this reading plan? You can learn more about Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They'd Be There by Now by Dale Sellers, and sign up to get more free resources from David C Cook here.