I AM A RECOVERING MINISTRY ADDICT! There... I said it. I, Joey Dean, have spent the vast majority of my adult life loving ministry. As you read those first couple of lines, I'm sure that you probably have no problem with what was just said. I must admit that I, myself, didn't see any fault with admitting such a statement either. That sentiment has changed during the past couple of years though. You see, during the past couple of years, God has been showing me how I had substituted a love for HIS church for a love for MY ministry. I had actually convinced myself that MY ministry was more important than anything else and was willing to do whatever it took to advance MY ministry forward, even if that meant at the expense of the church as a whole. Instead of loving and cherishing the church, I actually resented it and saw it as competition for what God had called me to do in MY specific area of ministry. Now before you begin to throw rocks at me, let me suggest that this problem is not mine alone, but is actually a problem that many pastors and church members struggle with. Are you now wondering if you're a ministry addict? Allow me to give you a litmus test that could help shed light on your possible addiction:
- If you talk about the need for corporation and coordination from all ministries, but then act as if you're ministry events are actually more important than everyone else's, then you may be a ministry addict.
- If you get nervous when the pastor lays out vision for the church because it may not line up with your perfect vision for YOUR ministry, then you may be a ministry addict.
- If you spend time criticizing other ministries use of resources instead of being an encouraging team member, then you may be a ministry addict.
- Lastly, if you can't wait to not be in worship on a Sunday morning because you just need a break from church because your exhausted from YOUR ministry, then you may be a ministry addict.
Trust me when I say that I'm not throwing stones here. In fact, I'm trying to help you from traveling down the same treacherous road that I have spent the vast majority of my adult life on. Allow me a moment to offer a couple of helpful tips on how you can stop being a ministry addict.
- Recognize that YOUR ministry does not make up the church overall. In fact, YOUR ministry most likely didn't even exist when the church was established in the book of Acts, and the church could probably survive if you're ministry went away.
- Acknowledge that the lead pastor's vision for the church ALWAYS trumps your vision for YOUR ministry. It is more important to align every ministry up with the same vision then pushing YOUR solo vision.
- Lastly, be willing to sacrifice any area of your ministry for the benefit of the overall health of the church. This might hurt a lot, but is the overall health of the church not more important than your single ministry?
May this blog help all ministry addicts out there, and may we all strive to love the church more than our OWN ministry.
