April 28, 2025
We are not saved by our work, but we are saved to do good work. Paul makes both points crystal clear in Ephesians 2:8-10.
And God honors our work. Proverbs 12:11 reminds us, “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”
Since work pays off in God’s economy, to what kind of work should ministry leaders give their attention? Here are 10 areas where we should work.
1. Work at study: Those who are called to preach must work on their preaching. Work to study a text, to prepare a message, to practice the message, and to preach it. We do not all have the same amount of time available to devote to our preaching, but all who preach must roll up our sleeves and work.
2. Work at personal evangelism: Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). Evangelism is work, and all ministry leaders must work at learning how to share Jesus with lost people — and then find opportunities to do so. Kentucky native Alan Brumback reminded us at the REACH Evangelism and Missions Conference that, “If evangelism is not the heartbeat of the pastor, it will not be the heartbeat of the pew.”
3. Work at leadership development: Alister Begg, in his forward to Rico Tice’s book on leadership wrote, “I have been in pastoral ministry for 46 years, and the more the years pass, the more I understand that Christian leadership does not come naturally and never becomes easy.” I say a big “Amen” to that. Leadership is work and those who hope to lead well must become students of leadership.
4. Work at prioritizing relationships: Who are the most important people in your life? You will not live long enough to ever regret investing significant time and creating memorable experiences with them. If those we serve in our ministry leadership assignments are treated better than those in our immediate families, we must repent and ask God to help us correct our priorities.
5. Work at pastoral care: Think about the people you serve. Peter Drucker says, “Executives spend more time managing people and making people decisions than on anything else – and they should.” Whether you are a pastor, an elder, or a Christian non-profit leader, one of your priorities must be caring well for those you lead. Many of us need to grow in this area.
6. Work at mental and emotional health: In recent weeks I have been with ministry leaders experiencing depression, anxiety, burn-out, and spiritual warfare. The challenges facing ministry leaders today seem endless. For that reason, combined with the importance of our mission, we must work at the disciplines that lead to our own mental and emotional well-being. Determine those habits that add energy to your life and find time each week for those along with your other priorities.
7. Work at prayer: Oswald Chambers wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” Every ministry leader must work at prayer. We must pray for wisdom, for faithfulness, for protection from the evil one and we must pray that God will show us what He wants us to give focused attention to in our ministry assignment.
8. Work at physical exercise: Time invested in physical exercise has an exponential return on energy. Whether you walk, run, lift weights, ride a bike, play basketball or something else, leaders need to find an exercise they enjoy and that they can continue into old age.
9. Work at solving problems: There may be a few problems in your ministry context that will work themselves out without your attention, but they will be very few. Most problems require a leader to roll up his or her sleeves, get involved and pray and work for a God-honoring solution.
10. Work at big things: What is the great work God is leading you into in your ministry assignment right now? Work on that. Life is short and each of us must determine in the presence of God what He is leading us to work on next and get busy about it.
A simple reading of the Bible reveals that while we are saved by the work of another, our Lord Jesus, we are called to work. May God be pleased to lead us into those works He has established for us and grant us the grace and energy to carry them out. If we will work for the glory of God and the good of people, then we can rest in the assurance that our single life is being invested well.
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Todd Gray is executive director-treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. This commentary first appeared in Kentucky Today.
