Good day everyone and welcome to Forms and Patterns, I’m Lara Gboyega Adedeji. It’s such a joy to be on this platform sharing with us as ministers the ways that we can be more effective in the service of our King and our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that what the Lord has brought to us and He is bringing to our attention today will do us good and would amplify our effectiveness in the name of Jesus. Today we will be looking at HOW TO HANDLE ANXIETY IN MINISTRY. We are going to start our observation from Luke 12:22-32.
“Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek [f]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
May the Lord bless the reading of His word in Jesus’ name! How do you handle anxiety in ministry? Jesus speaking to His disciples in this particular portion of the Scripture we read, He mentioned two important things that we must give consideration to. He gave us examples of what the world thinks about, what they are anxious about: what they will eat, the cloth they will wear, the places they will live, and so on. And He gave examples of the lilies, how that they are like grass, they are flowers today and they are here today and they are no more, but God is still interested in them. He gave example of the ravens, He said “they do not have store house or barn.”
So, they don’t have a place they store for the future but God feeds them. And He was asking, He said “you as a disciple, as a son of God, as a minister of the King, you are of much value than the lilies and the ravens.” He said “your Father knows that you have need of these things.” And He went further to say in 28 that “you of little faith.” The question we want to ask ourselves is this: WHAT HAVE I BEEN ANXIOUS ABOUT IN MINISTRY? What are the areas of my life in ministry that I’ve been anxious; thinking about what to eat, what to drink, the clothes to wear, and where to live in? What are my anxieties? Jesus said, “your faith in God, your faith in your Father, will take care of your anxieties.”
Jesus mentioned two important things about what and where our faith should lie. He said “your faith should be in the ability of God, the God that is capable, the God that is able to feed the ravens.” The God that is able to feed the ravens, He can do much more for you. So, when your faith lies in the ability of God, your anxiety is taken care of. When you know that God is able. The Bible says “God is able to do, exceedingly abundantly, far beyond what we can ask, think, or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.” When our faith is in the ability of God, our anxiety is taken care of. Jesus was saying here to His disciples “have faith in the ability of God.”
As ministers of the gospel, as ministers of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, it is important for us to have faith in the ability of God. With men these things might be impossible, but with God all things are possible. He is able, God is able to handle all that comes your way, He is able to handle your fears, He is able to handle your burdens, He is able to handle all those anxieties. Have faith in the ability of God. That’s what Jesus was saying to His disciples here, and He said “what I say to one, I say to all.” God is also saying the same thing to you as His minister, have faith in the ability of God.
The second thing Jesus mentioned to His disciples here, He said “have faith in the capacity of God.” He said if God is actable of decorating the lilies with glories that surpass that of Solomon, then you should know that He can cover you with His glory, He has the capacity, the capacity is inherent in God. God has the capacity to handle your anxieties. Have faith in the capacity of God to handle your anxieties. So, you have as a minister; to have faith in the ability of God, secondly in the capacity of God. Amazingly, the capacity of God talks about who He is, and Jesus mentioned, Jesus said, “for all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows.” The capacity of God as your Father. The capacity of God as a Father, we know ourselves as human beings that when we have the responsibility as a father, and you are operating as a capacity as a father, you are able to reach out to the needs of your children, and God was saying in His word, He said “if your earthly Father know how to give good gifts to their children how much more your heavenly Father.”
In Hebrews chapter 6:10, the Bible says “for God is not unjust to forget your work and your labor of love which you have shown towards His name in that you have minister to the saints and do minister.” God in His capacity as your Lord, as your King, as your Father, He is not unjust. Being unjust is not in His capacity, He is a just God, God is Just. God is righteous. Another translation says God is not unrighteous that He will forget in His capacity, In His capacity He is not unjust. So, He will not forget your labor of love as you minister. As you are an effective minister in His field, as you are an effective minister in His house, God is not unjust to forget your labor of love. Your faith must rest in the capacity of God and in His ability.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says “Therefore, my beloved brethren be steadfast, immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Know this, your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And that’s why Jesus said in verse 31 of Luke Chapter 12, He said, “but seek the Kingdom of God” your attention as you give your life, as you give yourself to the work of the Lord, as you seek the Kingdom of God, He said all these things that you are anxious about that the Lord will deliver them into your hands. As you repose your faith in the ability and the capacity of God as your Father, all these things shall be added unto you.
I believe that you have been encouraged, I believe that you have been strengthened as the minister of the Lord and you know that by reposing your faith and confidence in the ability of the one that has called you and the capacity of the one that has called you, your anxieties are handled in ministry in the name of Jesus.
Amen!
