Give the Lord your best by giving your best to your ministry

Don't forget this: Your education wasn't the work. It was preparation for the work. 

Disclaimer: This post isn't some reaction to a recent event in my life and ministry. I am not directing this toward anyone at my current place of ministry. We have hard workers on our team. In fact, we may work too hard at CVC! 

But now that I'm serving outside CVC a little more and have been coaching church planters for over 2 decades and have had a chance to reflect a bit more on almost 37 years of ministry - from FCA days in Jacksonville, Florida to seminary in Memphis to CVC, I've noticed something that bugs me. 

It's time for a rant.  

I’ve seen spiritual leaders who would NEVER, EVER turn in a shoddy piece of work to a professor. But they for some reason give themselves permission to turn in shoddy work in a ministry or on a church staff.

I say this all the time now to young leaders: 

"Your work in college or seminary was preparation for the real work, which is your current ministry. So, give the Lord your best by giving your best to your ministry.

"Even though it’s not healthy to strive for the A+ (perfection), we can still strive for excellence in all we do. 

"Yes, there is grace when we fail. But if striving for the A was important in college or seminary, then how much more should a leader strive for the A in what the college or seminary was preparing him for? Why not strive for excellence for a weekend message, a ministry strategy, or a lesson plan?  

"You’d never give a sub-par effort to a professor. Why then is if OK to give a sub-par effort to your Lead Pastor or to your staff team? if the professor wouldn't give you a pass, why should your pastor?"

In ministry we have very many competing priorities with lots of spinning plates. Therefore, we have to remember that sometimes good is good enough and that God's Spirit will empower our efforts when we feel stretched to the max. 

But we can never excuse a "just-do-enough-to-get-by" attitude. Sloth is still in the list of the 7 deadly sins. And spiritual leaders are not immune to the temptation toward laziness.

OK. Enough already. What does God have to say about this?  

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10a