Colossians 1:28-29
28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
In my Bible I have these verses bracketed. It captures, I think, what every pastor strives for: to preach the gospel, to exhort Christ followers, and to teach with great wisdom and sensitivity so that all those under his care might be presented to Christ as mature and faithful. It begins with evangelism and continues with nurturing growth in the faith. If there is one thing I have learned in my short years as a pastor, it is that there is never an end to the work. There are no such things as “people projects” that have a beginning and an end. Well, technically there is a beginning, but never an end. This is why it is especially difficult, because for every new start, there is never a drop off on the other end (except in the case of someone leaving or passing on). The people just keep piling up as God blesses a ministry with more conversions. How does one manage a numerically growing flock? Answer: More shepherds. Okay, that’s the easy answer. But the reality is, the work is long and hard, requiring patience, endurance, grace, and much armor regardless of the numbers. I am convinced that Paul carried the burden of all the churches even though he was not present with them. Paul says to the church at Corinth: “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:28) The same is true of most church leaders regardless of the number of helpers.
For every pastor or leader who struggles to carry out this mission of reaching and teaching, Paul gives his example to live by. Paul’s strength came from Christ. He worked with all of Christ’s energy – not his own energy, but Christ’s. I just like the way Paul juxtaposes our efforts with Christ’s power. Paul says he struggles – he works hard, he labors, he sweats, he puts everything into his work – but he does so with all of Christ’s energy.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from Paul, perhaps it is this: God will supply all the energy we need to do the work He intends for us. If we come to the end of a long day, and we have worked hard, and we are in need of rest, we can be content knowing that God has enabled us to finish the day well. I know as a pastor sometimes we come to the end of a long day, and we see so much more that needs to be done, so many people that have needs unmet, so many people that you didn’t have time to call… the truth of the matter is, every day ends like that for the most part. But if Christ is supplying the energy, then He is also setting the agenda. It is a lesson that anyone serving in ministry needs to remember.
Do you try to do more than God intends for you? Do you burn the candle at both ends thinking this pleases God? Is your life suffering in certain areas because you’ve expended every ounce of energy trying to do the work of the ministry? Listen carefully, Christ’s energy is enough for us to accomplish His work. We do not need more, nor do we need to steal it from other areas. Consider today how you are expending Christ’s energy. Are there any changes in perspective and time that need to be made?
