A poem from Kipling about church ministry???

So, if you have been in church ministry for any length of time you know that people in the church are not always polite, kind, and perfect. Jesus is. Christians aren't - but should be moving toward, and striving for, Jesus' likeness.

My wife remembered this poem the other day and shared it with me. I began to think about how true this needs to be for life and was challenged by the implications of this for the Christian who is being persecuted. I'm not saying that church ministers get persecuted by their congregations, but there are a bunch of imperfect people so there is bound to be some conflict. Church ministry is like any other vocation that deals with people (which all do - except monasticism) and there will be problems that arise.

So, read, enjoy and remember this one!

IF - by RUDYARD KIPLING

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
 
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

I think the last line could be adapted...

[ ...Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Worship Pastor, my son!]

Kind of a funny thought. Kind of a challenging realization. But, I know that nothing can be more fulfilling than to have the blessing of leading God's people in true worship!  Pastors, Teachers, Worship Leaders, and church workers - remember 1 Timothy 3 (read the whole chapter) and your calling as a minister.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV) - Qualifications for Overseers  

"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."

Christians (yes this includes all ministers as well), you have a job description as well. Read one of the verses where we find in the bible what it means to be a Christian in Romans 12.

Romans 12 9-21 (ESV) - Marks of the True Christian
"9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 So, I think Rudyard Kipling got it right in his description of a man. As we move forward in our walks with Christ let us know be held back by what others say/do to us. But, let us hold strong in the values that God has laid for us and when we fail and repent, He forgives.


[Lord, help me to live a life that pleases You. Help me to represent you well and display Your love to those around me. When I'm rejected help me to remember that my identity is found in Jesus. That I am seen by You as pure and holy because of His work on the cross. Help me to exude with joy because of the salvation, freedom and hope you have provided and not get distracted by the issues of the day. Help me to remember You day in and day out and live like it.  - Luke]