There are Always More for Ministry

As a pastor waits weekly on a congregation to gather, we might be impressed with David’s ability to attract a crowd. Here he is, on the king’s hit list, running for his life, and he is joined by these, characterized as “distressed, indebted, and discontented.” You can always build a ministry if you don’t mind working with the three D’s: distressed, indebted, and discontented.

One of the praise songs goes:

All the poor and powerless, And the lost and lonely

And all the thieves will come confess

And know that you are holy.

Why is it this way? Well, perhaps because the rich are too busy building their bigger barns to enlist in ministry. Perhaps the powerful have empires to operate, and the weight of their responsibilities leaves precious little energy for worship and service. Perhaps those who are at ease have difficulty seriously considering difficult thoughts, and those who are comfortable and contented can hardly imagine the lives of those who aren’t.

Paul reminds the uppity church in Corinth of something similar. “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1Cor. 1:26-29

If ministries were to follow Hollywood’s advice, we might recall that all we need are “a few good men.” The Bible seems to indicate that God would rather employ a mess of not-so-good men and women; men and women who are a mess. Why? So that the glory produced from the required redemption and restoration of such characters would not go to heroic, human figures, but to God. 

Oh, and those distressed, indebted and discontented characters that surrounded David. It appears that they were the raw materials developed into those of whom stories were told and songs were sung - into David’s mighty men, who lived, not for their own glory, but for the glory of their King. As we share ministry with those who need mercy, we pray to see lives so changed and God so glorified.