Considering Envy in Ministry

Envy is a problem for everyone. The 10th Commandment is essentially about envy- wanting what someone else has. It is a cancer to the soul, breeding complaints against God like a whiny teenager. “If you loved me …”

Ministers are not immune. We can be tempted to envy how God is at work in other churches. At least in how we perceive it.

I had one of those experiences recently as a few fellow pastors gathered to discuss a common project. One, a church planter, noted upon being asked how their new facility is already packed. The attendance is about 50% higher than ours.

For me it turns into self-condemnation of a sort. “You stink. If you were a good pastor/preacher/leader you’d see that and more.”

Envy destroys contentment. And that is the 2nd mistake that Dave Kraft addresses in Mistakes Leaders Make.

It isn’t limited to ministry success. You can envy how much other pastors make. As a Presbyterian, I know how much new pastors in the Presbytery make. When you pastor a smaller church, that is tough. Suddenly you think about your retirement, that cruise you wish you could take and a host of other things. It can easily distract you from the task at hand.

“I think it is good to compare what is happening through me (and in me) with what could potentially happen. It is good to compare where I am with my growth and ministry effectiveness with where it is possible to be, with God’s grace. Where I get into trouble is when I compare with others who have different gifts, callings, capacities, and personalities.”

There are several important things there. First, comparing is okay if I’m wondering what God could do with me (keeping my gifts and limitations in mind). It becomes a question of faithfulness, am I being faithful? How can I be more faithful? That is a far better standard than success.

Kraft is not the only one who gets in trouble comparing himself with others. It assumes our gifts, callings, capacities and personalities, among other things are equal. They aren’t. That church planter, for instance, has different gifts, is reaching different people (calling) and had different circumstances. He also had a different set of problems than I do.

“Comparing shows that I don’t trust the sovereignty of God in my life.”

There you have it. God is the One who decides all these things- calling, gift, personality, circumstances. This week in Community Group we are looking at the conversion of Saul. His calling was different than Peter’s calling. Peter was challenged when trying to read some of what Paul wrote, because he had a different gift mix. Peter wasn’t supposed to envy Paul’s gifts, travels, or success among the Gentiles. Or his prolific ministry of writing. Paul was not to envy the fact that Peter could bring a wife along or anything else.

“Serve God where you are, because you can’t serve God where you aren’t. This might seem like a simple statement, but it can be profound when you live it out by his grace.”

Contentment is an expression of trust in God’s goodness and wisdom. It is not something we create or work up to. Contentment is learned as we experience a variety of circumstances and recognize that God is ultimate in control and doing something good in the midst of the mess we see. Contentment recognizes that there is more to other people’s circumstances than the good things we envy. There is often a share of heartbreak, hassle and headache that we don’t or can’t see. Yet, God is at work there too.