College ministry has so many variations. Students change. Your best leaders graduate. A new pastor decides his church needs to cut what the church gives to your budget, or changes the expectations, etc. Sometimes, there will be criticism of the ministry. Every year is different. Apart from a College Minister's personal relationship to the Lord and a supportive spouse and friends, what is the best stabilizer? How do we not live a roller coaster life emotionally?
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11, "I have l learned to be content in whatever circumstances." Then in verse 12 he says, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation..." I would call this "secret" comfort with who we are and your calling. What are some steps and realizations that help us get to this point?
1. You realize your strengths. These are the gifts and abilities God has placed in your life and wants to use. It is not vain to admit, accept and allow God to use them to the fullest.
2. You have admitted your weaknesses and learned to offset them. You know you are not perfect and that realization can help you serve even better.
3. You know what you know. Experience is a great teacher and the longer we serve the more we know what works, what does not and why. But, we keep learning.
4. You are not in your position hoping to be the pastor of First Big Church. You know there is nothing more important than what God called YOU to be at this time.
5. It is acceptance of your age and the strengths and weaknesses of that age. There are blessings and strengths to every age. As we acknowledge that, we can lean into the strengths of our current age and be grateful for that age and the gifts that go with it.
6. You are not trying to copy the latest poster boy or girl of ministry....not even your hero in ministry. God uses real people, not imitations of someone else. Imitating someone else takes a lot of energy and posing. Being yourself is freeing.
One of the reasons that many larger college ministries are led by older College Ministers is this comfort with who they are. They are not worried about impressing students or anyone else. They are who they are. There are good days and hard days in college ministry. But, the thing that helps a College Minister put them in proper perspective is this SELF COMFORT. Evidently, God thought you were pretty good....since He only made one of you!
Arliss Dickerson's brand new book, A COLLEGE MINISTRY SUCCESS FORMULA, is available at amazon.com/dp/B091F5S1RF and the new classic, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX.
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