Learning from the Providence of God in Ministry
This is the first installment of a new series, where YPT asked a few youth workers to write about what they wish they knew when they were new in ministry. Follow the link above to read the rest of the series.
I follow a handful of youth pastor groups on social media, and it often seems that I see posts of discouragement. Discouragement with leaders over them, leaders under them, their family members, finances, or their ministry not showing the spiritual and numerical growth they had hoped for. The list can go on. And let’s face it, we all wrestle with discouragement.
My first two years of vocational ministry was met with hardship. Several staff members resigned. There was a leadership vacuum and many opinions on how to move forward. People didn’t talk to each other, but at each other.
At the time, I was discouraged and deeply wrestled with regret. I remember talking with a pastor-friend from another church and sharing with him my regrets and his encouragement to me was to have a high view of God’s providence. That encouragement led me down the path of studying God’s Word regarding His providence. Today, my wife and I have come to a position of thankfulness and not regret. We can even say that if God ever has us go through a season like that again, we would do it faithfully because with His Fatherly hand during that season, He matured us in ways that we wouldn’t have thought of.
Providence and Discouragement in Ministry
I have learned that having a high view of God’s providence has been an antidote to discouragement. John Piper defines God’s providence as His “purposeful sovereignty by which he will be completely successful in the achievement of his ultimate goal for the universe. God’s providence carries His plans into action, guides all things toward His ultimate goal, and leads to the final consummation.” The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 states it this way, “The Almighty, everywhere, present power of God… upholds all things so that they don’t come by chance, but by His fatherly hand.”
Although the definition of providence cannot be found in the Bible, it does showcase God’s providence when He says in Isaiah 46:10 that He declares “the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My council shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” God doesn’t just determine things to happen as if He is absent from the process. His Fatherly hand is at work in bringing about His redemptive purposes in everything.
Everyone in ministry will experience pain of some sort, whether philosophical tensions in ministry, a student not growing as you would have expected, or experiencing loss. Amid these struggles, we need to not cast our minds on what we can control, but what the Lord controls. For He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).
This doctrine has comforted and humbled me in ministry while teaching me two primary lessons.
God’s Providence Comforts Us
We can see God’s providence most notably in Exodus where God’s people are in slavery and are crying out to the Lord for rescue (Exodus 2:23). The Lord speaks into their pain through Moses by saying that He has heard them and assures them that He will providentially work to bring them out of Egypt and into the promised land (Exodus 6:2–9). From this passage, we can see that their prayer acknowledges the providence of God because they are asking Him to work for their benefit and for His glory.
Our cries to God do the same thing. For example, when we pray the Lord’s prayer, we are asking Him to providentially work out His will in our lives. In faith, we are hoping that He will act, knowing that He does act for His glorified purposes.
This should be of great comfort to us because it means that our suffering is not meaningless. God has a plan for it that we do not know. God uses the hardships we face to produce redemptive benefits (sanctification) in our lives (James 1:2–4). This is one of the reasons why I think the apostles can speak of having joy in hardships (e.g., Colossians 1:24; Romans 5:1–5; 8:18–21; 1 Peter 1:8–9), because God is providentially working in and through their sufferings.
Maybe you are reading this and thinking about resigning because of the trials you are facing. Perhaps you just resigned from a ministry, or were let go, or are simply unsure how to work with parents, leaders and students. Take comfort in knowing that God hears your groaning, and He is working for His glory and your good.
God’s Providence Humbles Us
When I graduated from Bible College I had all these ideas that I couldn’t wait to implement. I studied, wrote decent papers, got good grades, and although this was beneficial, it also unknowingly produced a mindset that I knew it all. When I entered ministry, I was excited to lead, but with that excitement came an unhealthy desire for control that was rooted in pride. I had heard how it is common for young ministers to act in this pride, but I never considered myself as controlling until I was confronted about it.
Thinking back on Exodus, how would you respond if God came to you in a burning bush telling you to lead His people out of Egypt? Would you respond with reluctance or eagerness? Both can be a threat in ministry. Reluctance can mean that you don’t believe you have the ability to lead, and therefore you refuse to lead in disobedience to God. Eagerness for God’s work can be a great thing, but if it is driven by selfish motivation then it can mean that you believe you have the ability to lead and can do it yourself. Whichever response you are, notice how God responds in Exodus 3 and 6 with all of His ‘I’ statements. He will accomplish His purposes, and it is out of His grace that He will providentially use ministers of the gospel.
What Does God’s Providence Mean for Pastoral Ministry?
First, be discerning. When you face resistance for something that you want to implement, prayerfully discern with trusted people whether to move forward or slow down. God could be using the resistance to grow you in your convictions so that you can better lead your people or change course. Along these lines, we should also welcome feedback because the same Holy Spirit who resides in you also resides in others within your church. God isn’t only using you for others’ sanctification; He is using them for yours as well.
Second, be patient. Just because you have arrived at a decision doesn’t mean that your people will jump on board right away. For example, God used multiple signs to eventually cause Pharoah to let Israel go, and it took 40 years for God to lead His people out of the wilderness. After examining Israel in the wilderness, I was convicted over how often I complain to God about something that doesn’t go my way within a couple of weeks or months. I seem even more impatient with God than the Israelites, and God judged them for their lack of faith! How does God see mine? God does not work on our time, but we work on His. He says in Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
Third, let the Lord calm your anxiousness. Anxiety can result from pride because we are wrestling with things that feel out of our control. But we were never really in control in the first place! Although we are responsible for our actions, God will work according to His purposes.
One of the areas of ministry where I wrestle with anxiety is leader recruitment and retention. It’s hard to accept rejection when you want others to serve in ministry, and there is the feeling that your current leaders may leave and the ministry could fall apart. Yes, we are responsible to recruit new leaders and encourage current leaders, but we should commit ourselves to praying for prospective and current leaders and rest in knowing that God is glorified no matter the results.
God’s providence helps us to have a bigger view of Him rather than ourselves and the world we live in. During your hardships, I offer you the same encouragement that was given to me - trust in the providence of God.