Ministry Success

Ministry Wednesday: Ministry Success

The word, Success' is probably the most powerful word in human motivation. Nothing drives a person like the desire to accomplish something. More importantly when such a thing centers around affluence, influence and all manners of worldly achievements. This is what the world generally calls success when achieved.

Ordinarily, success should be defined by purpose so as to trigger a pursuit that matters.
To a servant, success should be to accomplish the task set forth by his master, to a leader, success should mean taking those entrusted into your hands to their preferred destination. If there's a reason, the best achievement one should crave for is to achieve that reason.

The same goes for ministry. Today, we are gradually getting our definition of success wrong in ministry. Whenever we get the definition of success wrong, we pursue what won't add to the achievement of the ultimate reason for which we are put in the ministry.

Ministry isn't something we put ourselves into even if we are operating at the most regular level of ministry. Whatever we are called to do, is an assignment allotted by the Master, He is the one who gave 'some' to be whatever they are, in order to accomplish His own pleasure only.

1 Timothy 1
12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Now, the definition of ministry success can't be different from the desires of the one who put people into the ministry. He had laid a course for each one of us to accomplish and He is faithful to make sure that everything we need to accomplish that course is given per time.
He had said no one planning to build an edifice would fail to sit down first to count the cost to ascertain that he has enough to start and to finish. He won't do less for His own work.

But this grace and all other graces He gives can't be called success, they are the invested capital for the project. The tree can't see the manure and the fertilizers applied around its roots as success or even as favor. It is what is expected of it that is success when it is delivered. If the leaves are the expected result, the greatness of its boughs will tell of its success, if it is the flowers, the beauty of the floral will be its success and if it is its fruit, then the abundance of its fruits will be success.

The question of success in ministry is only answered by purpose. And purpose is designed to be fulfilled by following the course laid before each of us.

Acts 20
24. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

This defines what success means to apostle Paul. I believe that's what God wants us to see as success. There's a course of assignment laid ahead of us that we are to follow to the end and that'll be success to us.

But we often mix it up. We often couldn't separate the definitions of success by the world system from that of the kingdom of God. We see affluence, influence, fame and popularity as success, fulfilling ministry or running to the end of the course would be secondary. This is the error of today!

With such confusion, we have pursuits that differ from running for the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

We have worldly goals and when we achieve them we share the testimonies as success. I don't have to mention the things we only need to acquire now to be called successful, where you live, where you shop, where you travel to, who you're connected with, what you drive, what institutions you've built, what you fly, the kind of private jet you own etc...

This we do irrespective of the level we are on our ministry course.

We need to call ourselves to order and to see how Christ sees. Will Christ welcome us as good and faithful servants just for laying up treasures on the earth when He specifically said we shouldn't? Will He applaud us for all the filthy lucre we have amassed even when the scriptures speak clearly against filthy lucre?

These are the questions we must answer. We must know the heart desire of our Master, we must seek to please Him who enlisted us in the army and not be struggling to entangle ourselves with the affairs of this world, calling that ministry success...

Let's think about this... Good day to you