No Milk Without Manure

I have the best job in the world! At Summit Institute I get to work with my friends: people who share my passion for discipling and developing ministry leaders. We fellowship around the Word, are motivated by the same vision and love to have fun.

I am not only privileged to minister to and with pastors and leaders at Summit Church but to others across this nation and globally. I never cease to be impressed with their teachable spirits and desire for continued growth. Their commitment inspires me.

Additionally, I get to personally do life with several young men whom I mentor or disciple. All of these young men are repeating the discipleship process with other young men. My sweet wife Betsi duplicates this effort with young women! We get to see 2 Timothy 2:2 in action, “Reproducing-Reproducers.” It does not get any better than that.

Every one of you involved in ministry has a similar story to tell about changed lives.

Your faithfulness as a ministry leader or layman motivates others to become better disciplers. What you are doing really does matter for eternity.

However, as much as I love what I do, ministry can be hard, taxing and discouraging sometimes. The reality of life and ministry is that they are not always fun or fair. As if there were not enough normal challenges, along came 2020 and the pandemic. As we face problems and issues, irritants, and inconsistencies, we must remind ourselves these are true in any ministry.

Years ago, I claimed a couple of verses as life verses. The first was 1 John 5:14-15, verses about confidence in prayer. Along with those I adopted Proverbs 14:4. When people read this verse, they often look perplexed or comment on how that is a strange verse to have picked.  Let me paraphrase it, “You cannot have the milk without the manure.”

I realize if you grew up in a rural agrarian culture the verse may make more sense to you. So, for those of you who are from the city, let me elaborate. . . The farmer and all of society benefits from the milk produced by cows. But there is another reality: cows produce manure, and that manure must be dealt with properly.

I like this verse because it reminds me that life and ministry are fun but there are just some things that come with the territory that none of us would have chosen. Ministry can be messy at times! We live with the tension between both the milk and the manure. But I do not know anything else I could do and see so many lives changed for eternity.

As you live out your vision, burden, and passion, I challenge you to accept the manure just as you do the milk. I have often found I learn more while dealing with the manure than I do partaking of the milk.