Are We Ministry Helpers or Hurters?

Staying in the book of Mark, we find these passages:

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" - Mark 2:15-16, NIV

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. - Mark 3:1-6, NIV

Ice-T once rapped, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." With these examples, this saying fits. We shouldn't hate another person because he or she have success where we don't. If we are to hate anything, hate the situation or the job, but not the person. This is especially true in ministry. If we see someone leading a successful ministry, we shouldn't let our pride rise up to start knocking the person. Beating someone else down to make ourselves feel better isn't a Godly way of living. And that's the point of Ice-T's words (okay, I added the Godly part).

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law in the first two passages were upset because of who Jesus was associating with and what he was doing. He was cutting into their influence and power. To each one who railed against Jesus, Jesus was cutting into "me," or personal pride and position. Because of this, they sought to sabotage his ministry and kill him outright, which is certainly an ungodly position to take.

In both passages we see attempts to hurt Jesus' ministry. The first passage, at the party Matthew Levi threw, the religious leaders questioned who Jesus was associating with. In the second case, their own man-made rules about observing the Sabbath had them forgetting what the Scriptures actually said. Were they paying attention to what Jesus was saying or the results he was getting? Were they looking at his methods? Jesus was certainly turning people back towards God. And a look at Jesus' methods showed they were godly and appropriate.

Those are appropriate questions for us to ask, too. Not everyone in the Church is called to work at a mega-church. Not everyone is called to have evangelism success such as what Billy Graham has had. Some of the Church are called to seemingly smaller tasks. But all such tasks are appointed by God and are of the utmost importance. There is no "smaller" about any of them. And when it comes to "success," we tend to measure things in human terms. That's not appropriate. It doesn't matter how big a building one has, or how many people one church baptized in a year. What matters is has the church listened by having the appropriately sized building for what God has called it to do and has the church reached the people it was supposed to reach and helped grow the new converts to Christ God sent the church's way? God may not send 100 new people to a church of 25. Then again, he just might. We want to say the church that has gotten a 100 people versus the church that has gotten 5 is the bigger success story. But what about if one of those 5 was the next Billy Graham? Would our perspective change? I think it just might.

Our attitudes towards ministries and churches we see around us need to have our personal pride and prejudices removed. Granted, if a ministry appears to be successful, but when we investigate the methods we find a foul smell, that's one thing. But if a ministry is succeeding and the people are called, they're doing what they're supposed to be doing for the right reasons, and the ministry is following God's plan and God's methods, we should celebrate the success of the ministry and thank God for letting us witness that success. We should also pray for continued success in that ministry. It doesn't matter if we are a "competing" ministry. We pray for one another. We help one another. We love one another. After all, that's how Jesus said His disciples would be noticed by the world (John 13:35)

Be encouraged, for God has called us all to serve. Be encouraged, for even if a ministry you are involved in doesn't seem to have a "high rate of success," if you are doing what you know God called you to do and you are doing it God's way, that's all that God expects. Be encouraged when you see the success of others in ministry for that means God is working. Be encouraged and be glad to serve where you are serving today. If you aren't serving, be encouraged and ask God where you can serve, for He has a place for you.