It’s exhilarating to watch the best athletes compete. They understand that the glory of a game is found in those who “leave it all on the field,” whether they win or lose. So they train their bodies and develop their skills.
That is how I want to fulfill my ministry, as did the apostle Paul. He traveled from Jerusalem to Illyricum sharing the gospel and planting churches until he could say that he had fulfilled his ministry in those regions (Rom. 15:19). He preached the whole counsel of God, holding nothing back (Acts 20:26–27). Then, having fulfilled his ministry, he knew “the time of his departure had come” (2 Tim. 4:6). Paul left it all on the field.
If we’re not vigilant as years in the ministry pass, though, the greater the possibility that the monotony of our routines, the burdens of pastoring, or the busyness of ministry will become excuses for neglecting our primary task: preaching the Word. Jesus builds his church by his Word, in the power of the Spirit, through the preaching of a foolish message, from the mouths of weak men. Let us then work hard at preaching and stay hungry for the Word, remembering how we got here
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