Why Pastors Fail
By Justin Yang
Ever since I was introduced to a similar diagram by Dr. Sharon Hodde Miller at #RightNowConference2022, I've been giving this a lot of thought.
At first, we all begin with gratitude that we get to partner and co-labor with God. We're pumped, excited, on fire and ready to go anywhere, do anything for and with God.
But somehow and somewhere along the way, our gratitude dissipates, we get disillusioned and feel absolutely overwhelmed as we're overworked and drained. We no longer operate out of gratitude or with a sense of partnership with God, but with drudgery and a sense of obligation.
And this is where it spirals out of control and turns fast into resentment (of doing all the work) then to entitlement (abuse of power, of authority) then finally to escape (the only way to cope as everything piles up).
The pivotal tipping point is when gratitude turns sour and snowballs into mountains of obligation and resentment.
When you're no longer grateful to be in ministry, it's a sign for you to take some time out, reflect on what's happening inside of you and cry out to God to restore in you the joy of salvation!
It's also time for you to grow as a leader and open your eyes to how you can eliminate (what's unnecessary), delegate (empower others with authority) and automate (by creating systems) for your ministry.
When we fail to do this and carry on with our duties and obligations, we often find ourselves in a bad place with coping mechanisms that we wouldn't have dreamed of at the very onset of our ministry.
May the buckets of our souls be filled to overflowing with gratitude and joy to be in ministry with our heavenly Father!
Justin Yang serves as the director of Young Adult Ministries for the Texas Conference.
