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"Jesus, use me. Please, Lord, don't refuse me. Surely, there's a work that I can do. Even though its humble, help my will to crumble. Though the cost be great, I'll work for you."
I've heard that one of the problems pastors face is keeping Christians from leaving the fold. To be sure, it's a big problem. Someone comes in, commits to Christ, and seems to be moving right along. Then, they slowly begin to lose interest, missing church services and sliding backward. Eventually, they disappear, altogether. We've seen it numerous times and I've run into a lot of people who have experienced it, themselves. But, why? How can someone start out by committing to the cause of Christ and, then, lose interest? There are many reasons. I'd like to discuss one possibility - lack of use and the resulting frustration.
Like the words of the old hymn which was partially quoted at the beginning of this article, many are strongly inclined to be of use. "Please, Lord, use me!", they cry, "Surely there's a work that I can do!"
Now, there are, no doubt, others who do not have this drive. They can seemingly sit in a pew for years on end and be perfectly content. Good for them (I guess). For those, though, hungry to be used, to do something of impact, and to make a difference in the world, sitting in a pew Sunday after Sunday can result in great frustration. They become frustrated because they (1) don't know what they're supposed to be doing or (2) know what they're supposed to be doing but aren't doing it. Nothing can be so frustrating as having a God-placed desire in your heart to be about His business in a specific way and not knowing how to proceed or knowing how to proceed and have the brakes put on you. Under such conditions, many do what was described in the first paragraph - slide backward. Eventually, they slide back all the way. What can be done to prevent this? Now, that's a very constructive question. If you've been able to see this to the point where you are asking questions like this, the battle is half-won.
I, personally, believe that all are called to be about the Father's business. ("I must be about my Father's business" Luke 2:49, "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them" John 17:18, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" John 17:20) God has called each to fill a place in the body of Christ. We all have a ministry. We all have a calling. We all have a purpose. The key to real contentment is to know your ministry, calling, and purpose and to be in a position where you can perform your ministry, calling, and purpose. Pastors and church leadership can do much to assist in this area.
It's not enough to stand before your congregation and berate them for not doing "stuff" for Jesus. They don't know where to begin. The church can greatly help them. First, help them, individually, to discover what it is that they're supposed to be doing. Help them pinpoint their calling. Do not just stick them in a job in the church! Not enough attention is being paid to this point. Putting a person in a job for which they are not called or gifted will lead to terrible frustration (and they will do a lousy job). Nobody will be happy. Instead, sit down with them and help them as they try to determine what it is they are supposed to be doing. Years ago, I heard a respected pastor speak about how to determine God's will for you. I took notes. I also applied them to myself.
Here are some questions that can be asked: (1) What is the desire of your heart? (2) Where does your passion lie? (3) What flows naturally with your gifts and talents? (4) What are your mature Christian friends and leaders telling you? (5) What do you sense the Holy Spirit is telling you? (6) What can you give yourself to 100%?
If the desire of your heart is to teach, you will not be happy being an usher. You need to identify what it is you feel strongly about. When you hear a sermon, what topics really stir your passions? What gets you excited? Don't do things that you can't do with passion. You cannot give 100% to something about which you are not passionate. My experience is that, wherever your passions lie, you'll find that you have God-given talents and abilities that will enable you to take that passion and put it to work, very effectively. If someone comes to you and asks you to perform a specific job or become part of a ministry, make sure it fits you. If it doesn't, do not commit to it, even though it is a great work. This statement may make some angry but, know this, I have always applied these principles to anyone who wants to work with our ministries. If, by working with our ministry, you are not experiencing fulfillment, you should find another ministry with which you will find it. I recognize that not everyone will enjoy being a part of what we do. Not everyone is called to be the same body part. If you're a foot trying to function as a hand, you'll be miserable. The last thing churches and ministries need is volunteers who are miserable.
Now, if you'd like to examine something you're already doing, you can ask yourself some questions, also. (1) Do I really enjoy what I'm doing? (2) Does what I'm doing make me feel fulfilled, enriched? (3) Does what I'm doing bring me peace and joy? (4) Am I seeing good results from what I'm doing? (5) Am I good at what I'm doing? (6) Am I effective at what I'm doing? If your answer to these questions is "No", you should probably consider finding something else to do.
Now, keep in mind that there are hardships to following Christ. Jesus did what he was supposed to do. He did what he was called to do. He knew his purpose, was good at it, and was very effective. Guess what? They killed him. You will suffer persecution and ridicule for what you do for Christ. You'll have moments of frustration, doubt, and despair. Moments of frustration, though, are not the same as constant frustration and should not be mistaken as being out of your calling. Persecution should not be considered as a sign that you are not in God's will. Sometimes, even your brothers and sisters in Christ will give you a hard time. Don't let this deter you. Consider the predicament of the disciples. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2Cor. 4:8-10) Though they suffered many things for the cause of Christ, yet they could not be dissuaded. They found joy in the midst of tribulation. They knew that they were doing exactly what they were called to do. That made all the difference.
I'm convinced that many are falling away because of frustration. One of the great responsibilities of church leadership should be to do everything they can to help people find their place and purpose. If we do this, our people will be more content, happy, and peaceful. Our church will be a very effective church and we will have the ability within our congregation to minister to people from all walks of life. Our church will be well balanced and we'll begin to see people move forward instead of backward. We do err greatly when we do not take seriously this responsibility. Worse, we cause great harm to the individual. When, as a leader, someone comes to you, confiding that they have a great desire to be doing something, how terrible it is when we just blow them off. I've seen men and women fall away after being told that their particular desire just doesn't fit into their church's plans or is not needed. Instead of stifling people, let's empower people. Let's encourage people. I know it can be a headache but it may be less of a headache than trying to convince them to come back after they leave.
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