Fight the Tyranny of Results in Ministry

A dangerous belief poses a threat to us and our ministries. It’s the belief that we’re responsible for getting results.

It doesn’t sound like a dangerous belief. In almost any other venture, it’s reasonable to expect results. I never want to hear my investment advisor tell me that he doesn’t think it’s his job to get results.

You might think the same happens in Christian ministry, but there is one big difference: we can't control the results, no matter how hard we try. (Actually, my investment advisor can’t control the results, either. We have much less control than we think.)

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

We struggle to believe this. For sure, we have work to do. Paul details the work that he and Apollos did. But they weren’t responsible for the growth. That’s God’s job.

Paul and Apollos had two things in common. First: they worked. Second: their work was useless unless God gave the growth. “Both he who plants and he who waters are completely dependent on God—and on each other,” observes David Prior. We’re just servants that do what he asks us to do. Servants don’t get to brag.

We also don’t get to measure our own ministries. Paul didn’t, because he knew only one evaluation matters, and it’s not ours (1 Corinthians 4:3-5). In fact, Paul says that when we measure and compare ourselves to others who serve, we show that we lack understanding (2 Corinthians 10:12). It’s not only a dangerous game; it’s a stupid one.

We should work hard. If you are a pastor, you should command and teach, set an example, to devote ourselves to things like the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and teaching. You should make progress in these things, and you should watch your life and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:11-16). The list is long. God has given us much to do.

But you’re not responsible for what God does with all of these.

You may serve in a big church. You may serve in a small church. Things may go well. Things might not go well.

If things don’t go well, you’re in very good company. You join many of the prophets, apostles, and saints throughout history, and Jesus too. Give thanks that you get to share in his suffering.

If things do go well, be careful. Don’t take credit. One of the biggest risks in ministry is pride. A sure way to become proud is to believe that you are the reason your ministry is doing well.

I’m not saying that results don’t matter in ministry. They do. They’re just not up to us.

Be faithful. Cultivate humility. Work hard. Do the things God has called you to do. Give it your all.

But quit thinking you’re responsible for the results. Believe that God counts differently than we do. Keep serving. Encourage others. If the results don’t come, remember that your ministry still matters (1 Corinthians 15:58). If the results come, refuse to take credit and give glory to God. Most of all, just keep going and leave the results up to God.