I just met a dear brother-in-Christ. He was my ex-student, now serving as a full-time youth worker in his church. I am blogging this with his permission as I felt the need to include this in today's blog. He called me last night to request for a meeting as he has been very discouraged with his ministry.
Just as much as he is trying his best to reach out to the youths, he said it is just so tough to minister to them especially those whom he has a burdened for. I shared the same feeling as my brother as I am going through the same experience now. He was telling me how some of them live their lives as if the world owes them something - very bitter, hostile and always angry. Vulgarities are commonly used to express their frustrations.
A couple of times he was told off by them not to be such a busybody and to just mind his own business. Some simply just ignored his calls and smses. There were many occasions he wanted to give up but he said if Jesus did not give up on the people He was reaching out to, why should he?
I reminded my dear brother that the price one has to pay in reaching out to people is that of rejection and pain. There will be some who appreciate our ministry to them and there are others who do not. What matters, above all else, is that we continue to press on and surrender these persons to God. It is so easy to judge those who treat us negatively but we must always see every one with the eyes of God and to continue to love them no matter what.
I want to encourage those who are in people-ministries to always believe that God will one day touch the lives whom we have a burden for. The worst thing that can ever happen is simply washing our hands off those who are not so nice to us because these are the very people who need the love and care and support. The devil wins if we were to just raise the white flag. Some may not appreciate us for now but eventually if we show them our sincerity in wanting to be a friend to them, I believe God can bless these souls through us.
I want to encourage all my siblings-in-Christ who are serving the Lord to be in an accountability group. I have two groups and I must testify that it has been an encouraging journey that we are going through together - sharing with one another the joy and pain of ministry. Having a few like-minded friends in accountability makes our service to God and His people a more pleasant experience even during occasions where they are rather demoralising.
I would also want to say something to those whom their friends are trying to reach out to. Please appreciate these persons - I believe it is because they love and care for you that they want to be a part of your life. They could have simply walked away and be angry by all the remarks you make against them. The fact that they are discouraged showed how much you mean to them. I am sharing this not to put you down but to simply remind all of us that we cannot walk our life's journey alone. It is possible but it is a lot harder as compared to having friends being there to travel with you and carrying the loads when the going gets tough. There are times when you want to be alone, I am sure your friends will respect that but do not shut them out completely.
The world does not owe us anything but we do owe God the favours He has shown us (especially the one painful thing He did on the cross - setting us free from the bondages of sin and death) and our friends the love and care they shower upon us. Surely we all have feelings - if you could feel the pain and injustices in your life, I believe your friends would also feel the hurt when you treat them harshly and insensitively.
Well, let us all learn to glorify God in all that we do, at the end of the day. May God also be our help in times of need. He will never fail us.
Those who have been reading my blogs may have now concluded that I am a Coffee Bean fanatic. Yup, I am now at the Millennia Walk branch. After talking to my brother, I decided to stay on and catch up with my reading and do all the other usual stuff. Just in the span of an hour, I bumped into two friends - one from my church and the other who is not but joins a small group in the church. I am glad to have caught up with them even though it was just for a short while.
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25
Just as much as he is trying his best to reach out to the youths, he said it is just so tough to minister to them especially those whom he has a burdened for. I shared the same feeling as my brother as I am going through the same experience now. He was telling me how some of them live their lives as if the world owes them something - very bitter, hostile and always angry. Vulgarities are commonly used to express their frustrations.
A couple of times he was told off by them not to be such a busybody and to just mind his own business. Some simply just ignored his calls and smses. There were many occasions he wanted to give up but he said if Jesus did not give up on the people He was reaching out to, why should he?
I reminded my dear brother that the price one has to pay in reaching out to people is that of rejection and pain. There will be some who appreciate our ministry to them and there are others who do not. What matters, above all else, is that we continue to press on and surrender these persons to God. It is so easy to judge those who treat us negatively but we must always see every one with the eyes of God and to continue to love them no matter what.
I want to encourage those who are in people-ministries to always believe that God will one day touch the lives whom we have a burden for. The worst thing that can ever happen is simply washing our hands off those who are not so nice to us because these are the very people who need the love and care and support. The devil wins if we were to just raise the white flag. Some may not appreciate us for now but eventually if we show them our sincerity in wanting to be a friend to them, I believe God can bless these souls through us.
I want to encourage all my siblings-in-Christ who are serving the Lord to be in an accountability group. I have two groups and I must testify that it has been an encouraging journey that we are going through together - sharing with one another the joy and pain of ministry. Having a few like-minded friends in accountability makes our service to God and His people a more pleasant experience even during occasions where they are rather demoralising.
I would also want to say something to those whom their friends are trying to reach out to. Please appreciate these persons - I believe it is because they love and care for you that they want to be a part of your life. They could have simply walked away and be angry by all the remarks you make against them. The fact that they are discouraged showed how much you mean to them. I am sharing this not to put you down but to simply remind all of us that we cannot walk our life's journey alone. It is possible but it is a lot harder as compared to having friends being there to travel with you and carrying the loads when the going gets tough. There are times when you want to be alone, I am sure your friends will respect that but do not shut them out completely.
The world does not owe us anything but we do owe God the favours He has shown us (especially the one painful thing He did on the cross - setting us free from the bondages of sin and death) and our friends the love and care they shower upon us. Surely we all have feelings - if you could feel the pain and injustices in your life, I believe your friends would also feel the hurt when you treat them harshly and insensitively.
Well, let us all learn to glorify God in all that we do, at the end of the day. May God also be our help in times of need. He will never fail us.
Those who have been reading my blogs may have now concluded that I am a Coffee Bean fanatic. Yup, I am now at the Millennia Walk branch. After talking to my brother, I decided to stay on and catch up with my reading and do all the other usual stuff. Just in the span of an hour, I bumped into two friends - one from my church and the other who is not but joins a small group in the church. I am glad to have caught up with them even though it was just for a short while.
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25
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