Being Faithful Where God Has Placed Us

“Just be faithful where you are” was a message that came through loud and clear in one of my most difficult seasons in ministry. Several years into my first call as a pastor and beginning to feel the pressure to “do more” amidst the upheaval of COVID-19 and its aftermath, I was feeling lost, confused, and I was not only not doing enough to keep the church going, but help it to grow. In a very animated and earnest time of prayer, I very clearly felt God saying to me “just be faithful where you are” (not audibly, mind you). This is something that has helped shape my life and ministry ever since.

Especially in a world where fame can be had instantaneously through “viral” online posts, and the monetization of nearly all electronic (social) media platforms, the temptation has perhaps never been greater to compete for attention and “grow our ministry”. We may start out with very pure motives, but as we start to see more followers and subscribers—and the attendant monetary rewards—it becomes easier to fall into the trap of believing we are “doing God’s work” when we are, in fact, merely building our own brand.

In brick-and-mortar churches the “success” of our ministry has often been measured by the number of people in the pews on a Sunday morning and the size of our budget. With the advent of the internet and social media, and the significant uptick in the online presence of churches, Christian leaders, and even “Christian influencers”, “success” can take on a new shape that may not necessarily be in alignment with the teachings of Scripture.

Our theme for this month is “Faithful in the Ordinary”, which stands as an interesting counterbalance to last month’s theme about being Sent in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. At times, it may feel like these two things contradict one another: how can we be “sent” to be “faithful in the ordinary”? Yet, remarkably, these are quite often two sides of the same coin.

The Calling of God’s Servants

One of the many outcomes of the various evangelical awakenings throughout the history of the church are stories of calling: from the early church to the Middle Ages through the Protestant Reformation to the Great Awakenings, there are a myriad of stories of persons experiencing a “call” or commissioning from God to perform a task or ministry at his behest. This, of course, has its roots in biblical revelation: Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah, Jonah, and Isaiah in the Old Testament, and Peter, John, and Paul in the New Testament (to name but a few) all experience clear calling and commissioning from God for a ministerial task or office.

These are all, mind you, exemplary cases and not necessarily intended to be normative for the Christian life. At the same time, some of us can erroneously come to believe that, if we have not had a “calling” story or vision like the biblical and historical examples listed above, then we don’t have a calling to ministry. One of the things that has often struck me as I reflect on the outcomes of the Protestant Reformation is that, although we supposedly reclaimed the “priesthood of all believers”, ministry has still been expected to be carried by a select number of individuals who have the “calling” to do so.

Yet Scripture is clear that all of God’s people are “called”, and all have a part to play in the life and mission of the church.

For most of us, this call is to simply be faithful and committed to God in our ordinary everyday lives. It does not mean that we need to start our own podcast, YouTube Channel, or global Christian organization to combat hunger and poverty (though these are not wrong). The thought that we need to achieve something big in God’s name can be paralyzing and prevent us from doing anything at all for Him. But when we are encouraged by Paul that “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17), we can see that our call to serve God and be His “ministers” encompasses our everyday living.

Our ministry doesn't need to be large in scope, reach, or popularity to be effective for God's Kingdom.

As I mentioned at the opening of this post, one of the most impactful lessons I have learned in my years of ministry is to “be faithful” wherever I am. In short, it means to be unwavering in my commitment to God’s work, no matter how difficult or mundane it may be, knowing that it is He who is at work in and through me. My “call” is to be faithful, God takes care of the rest.