By Sam Lubag (12.14.09)
I must caution you before reading this article if you happened to be related to a Christian minister! You should believe that every minister of God is one among the ‘forgiven sinners.’ However, a full-time Christian minister is one of a kind. My current definition of such minister is one who is a cheap professional of highly expensive calling but hardly appreciated by people. Thus, do not attempt to enter any kind of ministerial profession if you cannot ‘count the cost’ of accepting it. No one makes you stay in your position but the love of God and, if you are destined to be, the love of your people.
Have you ever thought that it must be rare for a son to become a faithful minister like his Dad? It is really not fair for us to think that minister’s kids should be like their dad because I know a lot of poor ministers who were taken advantage of their vocation. Such ministers seldom complained even if they have to live on ‘come what may’ situations. Thus, a life of ministry should be taken seriously. The following are factors that people see on Christian minister:
1. That a minister that who has no enough respect from the world’s point of view should earn the respect of his own people or congregation.
2. That he invests his talents; treasure and time for his education to prepare and remain in such profession. This is, even with his knowledge that his material earning from his ministries would hardly compete with the earning of most of his members. That is, if he happens to lead a “poor-in-giving” congregation.
3. That he is expected to be strong and competitive when the congregation he serves does not or cannot put stable investment on his retirement plan. I’ve known ministers who are disapproved by retirement plan because of over age.
4. That he willingly gives time to families in his congregation, even non-members of the congregation yet he finds a hard time giving schedule for his own family.
5. That his flock which used and might misused, abused and reused him, if he is able to survive, would discharge him of his duties being burned out and useless. Thus, too many professional ministers die in loneliness.
6. That a minister is almost always is the center of many attractions in either private of public situations. People think of his opinions, hear on what he says, watch on how he dresses, look on what he eats, and observe how he lives his life while they are waiting for his mistakes.
7. That such a man should produce good moral people, especially among kids, through all possible ways and means. The first in the lists that expect this are parents who have no enough time for their own kids.
8. That people assume him to be physically strong even after his fasting sometimes motivated by economic recession in his own family.
9. That a minister should be responsible to visit all sick and hospitalized people and help them to confront the crises and issues of life up to the point of death’s acceptance. This he would do in spite that he himself is depressing.
10. That a trouble-shooter like him must find right solutions to people’s problems, even the wrong ones. He should try to make people happy out of their suppressions and depressions.
11. That a servant like him should always be ready for “stand by” services like hospital visits, wedding, funeral, etc. but he must not be doing “call in” for his duties. He should be able and available twenty four hours. He is obliged to get overtime hours with no overtime pay.
12. That a minister should be knowledgeable of vast past, present and futuristic information: conflicts, confrontations, crisis, and even his latest neighbors to name some. Old ministers who are out-of-date are not normally acceptable to serve. His past experiences are no longer credible since he will eventually be under nursing care! These kinds of ministers tend to be retarded than retired.
13. That a minister is to overcome the unexpected and surprising factors of life. He is expected to win the downcast, outcast, locked-in, locked out, forgotten and forsaken people while maintaining friendship, peace and love to every person he meets. He is expected to make miracles out of life’ natural ways.
On the top of these, a minister is not generally assumed to be a millionaire but must be an extraordinarily moral man, an extrovert to all introverts and a friend to all including ones who treat him as foe. I need you to be with me in this rally: to find a minister. I don’t want you to go with me to visit his tomb. Let’s find him living happy his life of service in God’s kingdom on earth. A minister deserves appreciation and love at the soonest time, most especially in this busy time of the year.
Are you looking for a man that is impossible to be a minister? Do you see him now as an impossible minister? Was he convincing or amusing or attractive enough to you in doing his ministry? How does he look like to you? Would you agree that it is impossible to have normal life when one becomes a Christian minister?
This writing does not intend to make any minister quit his vocation. This is to remind the people how they are going to treat a man who prepared his life for such a life of service. Does this mean that one is not a real minister if he doesn’t have the mentioned things? Probably no, but one cannot be a minister if he doesn’t understand these things that might happen to him. God forbid! Ministry is worth living and dying for when you know how to count the cost. By the power of God’s grace, I am still here to minister!(SBL)
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