More Ministry, More Criticism
More Money, More Problems
At my previous job, I was a commission only salesman. If I sold the product, I got a paycheck. If I didn’t sell anything, I didn’t get a paycheck. Sometimes I made big money, sometimes I didn’t. For the most part, everything was variable: income, expectations, budgets, allowances, sales production…everything. However, there was ONE thing that was constant. This one thing was true no matter the variables: When I was making more money, it meant that I had more customers and, unfortunately, this meant I would have to deal with more complaints about our services. Eventually, a co-worker and I adopted the phrase, “more money, more problems.”
Truth is…
Truth is, this happens everywhere, in every industry. The customer service center of department stores at the mall are always busier during the holidays. Local restaurants deal with more upset customers during their busiest hours of the day 12-1 and 6-8. Technology providers take more customer phone calls just after the release of new products. Hotels and Hospitality companies have more issues during the peak of travel and vacation seasons. In almost every industry, there is a reliable constant…more money means more problems.
What I’m Learning
I am learning that this is a reliable constant in ministry, too. The only difference in ministry is that it’s not all about the money. I believe it’s a spiritual principle… “More Ministry, More Criticism.” It seems like when God is doing something great, it stirs up lots of different criticism from various sources. I’m still catching on but I think I am noticing a trend. When I preach about subjects in youth ministry that could have the BIGGEST impact on a teens life, it makes people uncomfortable. As a result I find myself responding to lots of emails and questions. I guess it’s something I’ll have to learn to live with. In the meantime, I am loving the opportunities to meet people and go deeper in relationships with families.
Another phrase I use to describe this spiritual principle is: ”Big Impact, Big Feedback.”
