Subscribe to the NetworkGUEST POST: All About Attitude
We all are, or will be; in ministry situations where things just don’t go the way we think they should. Frustration levels rise, bitterness sets in, and possibly even pride festers. This is dangerous territory for anyone, but especially dangerous for those in the ministry.
When negativity sets in, and you find yourself beginning to pick apart everything that everyone does and says…the time has come for you to take a good look in the mirror and see what you can do to change the situation.
I was in a position where I assumed that the whole church (and at times the world) was against me. And we all know what happens when we assume… If a staff member didn’t say “Good Morning” to me, I believed that they didn’t like me. If somebody brought a gift for one staff member, and not me, I believed that they didn’t like me and that they “had it out for me.” When I discovered that I was being lied to about a situation, I took it personally and felt attacked. Eventually, it got to the point that I took everything that was happening in the church personally. Whether or not it had to do with the student ministry or myself, I took on people’s offenses as an attack.
The day quickly came where God (spiritually) smacked me upside the head and really convicted me. Despite the human errors that were happening, he showed me how good it really was. I mean, how was I to think that humans were going to act in a divine way?
The point is this: Maybe – just maybe – the “wrong things” that I was pointing out were just part of a large snowball that I had grown. I had to change my attitude, and learn to accept the fact that we are all human. Whether you work in a Christian Ministry or not – we all make mistakes. It really hit home when I was teaching the students the verse found in Colossians 3 “Just as God has forgiven you, you must forgive.”
Strange enough, when my attitude changed; when I chose to forgive – I saw a change in the situation. Sure, people are still people and things happen that I don’t really agree with… But, it’s a lot easier now, because of the attitude that God has given me.
Today, if you’re in a rough situation, if you just want to throw up your hands and give up… Stop. Pray. Ask for a new attitude. Ask for patience, forgiveness and love for those you are ministering beside. You’ll be surprised by the change.
Andy Disher is a youth worker, avid Simply Youth Ministry Podcast listener and Twitterer.
Fantastic post, that I so needed to read today! My attitude has been turning sour recently and I was wondering what to do about it. Thankyou.