Why Is Ministry So Stressful?

Stress will accompany you in ministry work. There is no way to avoid it. You are engaging in the most critical task of sharing the gospel with the lost. The people of this world have a desperate need with eternal ramifications. With every passing moment, their opportunities to follow Jesus decrease, considering their limited time remaining on earth. So, of course, this work will face opposition. The conflict will consist of forces on the outside and those within. 

As if the stakes weren’t high enough, you have an enemy who seeks to slow you down and take you out. We must have our eyes open to his schemes, for “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).  One of his primary tactics in his arsenal is to deceive (Rev. 12:9). Not only will he seek to divert you from biblical beliefs, but he will also attempt to veer you from biblical behavior.

The temptation to act in the flesh when times get challenging is an often-repeated scenario. As “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14), he will provide paths of response that seem like justified reactions but are only attempts to excuse disobedience. Like Adam and Eve, when we sin, it distances us from God but also creates conflict among us. We seek to blame one another for what we’ve done rather than take responsibility (Gen. 3:12-13). 

The first sin recorded in human history put the only two people on earth at odds with one another. The wedge was established. They were supposed to help one another in following God (Gen. 2:18), but instead, they hindered each other.

Every following transgression complicated human interactions. To make your enemy flee, you must learn how to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). That includes dealing with team members healthily when engaged in the Great Commission. Relationships and conflict must be handled by submitting to God and resisting the temptation to act in the flesh. It is easier said than done.