"But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;"
"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
In my experience in ministry, I've found that I can easily lose sight of those first two verses, and only trudge along, clinging to the truth of the last verse above.
Toil. Struggle.
That verse seems most real to me at times. I do identify with Paul, with his struggle, with his toil. Not only presenting others as mature in Christ, but presenting myself! Sadly, my experience in this toil/struggle has eclipsed my faith and belief in the Father's disposition towards us. If you see the verses above, the disposition is pleasure. Is my struggling/toiling in ministry married to the same truth that it realyl delights the Father to not only give us the kingdom, but also reveal Christ to those we are engaging? To be honest it doesn't take much faith on my part to believe ministry can be a struggle, yet it does take faith to believe in the good disposition of the Father.
How did I come to believe that it rested upon my shoulders to "bring about the kingdom" and to save the lost?
I need to live with a heightened awareness of the delight of the Father "towards us who believe".
Many days I approach work/ministry, with the idea of a God who stands beyond me, and who is waiting for me to "Get things done". This couldn't be further from the truth. My toil/struggle should be overshadowed by a God who has not only gone before to the cross, gone before me to heaven, but also stands behind and beside me, giving me all things in Christ.
It is not only His good pleasure to give us the kingdom, but he has already given us all things in Christ!
If we neglect to hold onto this truth, we easily forget who the kingdom is about, and who is really the Savior of the world.
Rest assured church planter, kingdom worker, not in numbers, not in book sales, not in response of the community, and not even in your own emotions, but rest assured in a God whose disposition towards you is one who delights to give you all things, and who delights to reveal Himself to the lost.