A couple of years ago we spent the summer swimming through a sermon series on Jonah (or maybe drowning would be a better way to put it). And yet, perhaps more than any other series I have done in the last ten years, Jonah has stuck with me and frequently comes to mind. If you weren’t here for the series or if you just need a reminder, Jonah is the Old Testament prophet who was given a particularly difficult assignment by God. God told him to go to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and a city of wicked people, and preach to them. Understandable, Jonah did not want to go. In fact, he tried to run away heading in the exact opposite direction. But God would not let Jonah out of the assignment eventually urging his compliance by sending a big fish to swallow him. Jonah ultimately complied to the Lord’s command but really didn’t embrace it with his heart. Kind of like the little girl who was being punished by being made to sit in the corner. “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside,” she fumed to her mother. Similarly, Jonah pretty much had a lousy attitude about the whole thing.
The bottom line for Jonah was simply to obey God and do what He wants him to do. And this is the bottom line for us as well-to obey God and quit making excuses and justifying our failure to obey. Most of what God wants us to do is in the Bible. It’s not rocket science. But there are times that God gives us assignments or burdens and we know that we are to obey but it’s hard. And, at times, we want to run and disobey. Jonah was a prophet sent to minister God’s Word to people. And this is a hard thing to do faithfully in season and out of season.
A couple Sundays ago our church ordained my son, Daniel, to Christian Ministry. This is basically affirming God’s call on his life and sending him forth to minister God’s Word in whatever way God leads. We are indeed very proud of him and are so blessed to have the support of our church family. I was ordained to ministry exactly 20 years ago this October. And I will tell you that over the last 23 years of being in ministry I have often felt like Jonah. I have never doubted for once in 23 years in ministry that God has called and still calls me to be in ministry. But I have doubted many times my ability, I have doubted the results, I have often been very honest with God in my lack of desire to do certain hard things and to face difficult situations.
And, yes, at times I have even tried to run away. At least in my heart.
Ministry, for many reasons which are very hard to understand unless you have been there, is a difficult life work. Or I should say it is difficult if you desire to be a conscientious pleaser of God and not a pleaser of people.
Yet, as I look back over the last 25 years, I wouldn’t trade any of it. And I especially wouldn’t trade the very hard times. These are the times which God uses to forge us into real men and women of God. It’s easier to see that in hindsight than when you are on the ship headed to Nineveh or picking krill out of your hair in the belly of the beast. And, yet, that’s ministry.
And so as Dan is ordained I know that he will be in store for some awesome blessings but also for some hard times in ministry life. He has had a front row seat to ministry life with it’s many blessings. He has been able to be a part of a very loving and great congregation. But through the years he has also been able to see some of the reality of ministry.
And like Jonah (and me) I am sure there will be times when he will not feel very “ministerly.” But it’s the call on his life, like Jonah, that will keep him lashed to the mast of ministry. And this is a good thing. I have seen all too many folks start out great in ministry life only to give it up because it’s difficult. There are many times I want to bail because it’s difficult. But it’s the unrelenting call of God on my life which keeps me doing my best to do my best. I recognize that there might be a good many who think “what’s so hard about ministry?” And I get that. I would never think of comparing ministry to other jobs in terms of which is more difficult. Yet, ministry is a uniquely difficult calling for many reasons. This has led many to hitch a ride to Tarshish when God says go to Ninevah. So I would really appreciate your prayers for Dan as he begins what I believe will be a lifetime of serving the Lord and obeying His call. It won’t be easy. He will face times of uncertainty, disappointment, criticism, and feelings of unworthiness. There will be times when he will wonder what in the world he is doing in ministry. There will be times when he will say with the prophet Jeremiah “Lord, you deceived me and I was deceived.” But he will also experience abundant grace, provision, blessing, and the satisfaction of living a life worthy of the call. The liberating reality is that in our weakness God is strong and that we are nothing but earthen vessels.
In the end, my only hope is that what was said of David (and I hope will be said of me) will be said of Daniel: “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Psalm 78:72)
Chris Higgins 