In the church, there is a common occurrence. Many believers ardently participate in the church's ministry at first but frequently give up due to some unhappiness, which even leads to church disagreements in serious cases.
Pastor Liu, who serves in a northern church, pointed out that when it comes to such a situation, Christians need to have a correct mindset toward serving in the church.
First, Pastor Liu believes the minister should understand that serving is for the growth of our lives, not for others.
The lives of Christians need to grow and cannot stay at the level of believing, which can be trained and rooted in the position of serving. Therefore, it is beneficial to actively take part in the church’s ministries and services.
Second, Pastor Liu stressed that serving is not based on our preferences but on the gifts God has given us and on His will.
Apostle Paul said, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers.” We served based on His gifts. There is no such thing as a more honorable position because we are all working together to build up the body of Christ.
However, some are envious of those who preach at the altar and are unwilling to serve in other capacities, while the pastor notices that they lack the gift and eloquence of preaching. Some enjoy singing but are assigned to welcome and clean, which dissatisfies them. Some people will feel disrespected if someone takes on their role as group leader, and they will stop attending church out of rage. Similar incidents occur frequently in churches. Such motivations for serving are wrong and need to be changed.
"As servants, we should be faithful if God uses us. Otherwise, we shall wait patiently without complaints. We must surrender our sovereignty to God as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." Pastor Liu explained: "We must be a brick in His hands, willing to be placed anywhere at His will, not by our own desires.”
Third, Pastor Liu emphasizes the importance of self-improvement for those in positions of service.
In Liu's view, the results vary for the same thing on different hands. Whether serving as a preacher, a teacher, a choir leader, or a pianist, they all need to be equipped, along with hard work for self-improvement in the field where they serve.
Pastor Liu urged those who serve to have objectives and to serve with the intention of pleasing God and seeking God's reward. He said, “We will see God’s work at a certain period during the process of studying hard to serve Him.” What concerned him the most was that some ministers only prayed, "Lord, help me." Allow the Holy Spirit to guide me!" They served without even lifting a finger after prayer.
Preachers who do not carefully prepare their sermons and rely only on 'the guidance of the Holy Spirit' will end up with nothing to preach, according to Liu. It will be difficult to pull the congregation into a life of worship if the choir leader is not well prepared. As a result, those who serve must be willing to grow.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
