One of the hardest things about ministry is there is no quantifiable way to measure “success” or failure. Well there’s the obvious personal failure aspect, as a moral failing. But in terms of those you’re serving. We have scripture which talks about how a leader in the church ought to lead, instruct his household, and live their life. But nothing which says: here’s what a job well done looks like. Because, how can you when you’re leading a group of people still living out their lives, full of victories and failures. I think about Christ whose very followers, disciples, failed him in those last hours. One who denied even knowing him, let alone defend the cause. Another who betrayed him for money. All who slept instead of praying. Yet, Christ stayed on course with the call God had on His life. If we were to measure the success of that call based upon the stance of His followers in that moment, we would be tempted to call Him a failure.
I find myself so ready to fall into a heap of rubbish in moments like that. To give up, call myself a failure and say what’s the use? In that moment, I’ve lost sight of my call. I’ve taken my eyes off the Creator and focused on the crowd. If Moses had done what I’m so tempted to do, he would never even have glimpsed the promised land. The measure of a leader’s worth is not based on the by product of their efforts, but their obediance to Christ. Always.
