Who Is Your Support

For those of us in ministry it can be a lonely walk. Sometimes we feel like we are all alone, we are the modern day Elijah on the mountainside. We feel alone, isolated, and in fear of our future. But! ... like Elijah, we often have no clue about those who are faithfully walking out the call of God on their lives and bringing the plan of God to fruition. We need friends of like precious faith, people who understand where we are coming from, those who share our passion and conviction. But where are they?

The Bible is clear, "He who would have friends must show himself friendly." (Prov. 18:24a) Who are your friends? Who do you have that you can trust to talk to you frankly and openly? Who can you turn to when things aren't going the way you think they should? You need friends.

We are counseled not to get too close to those we serve, think about that for a minute. We may be part of a ministerial fellowship, but how often do we actually spend time with those "friends," how close are we to them, really? We need someone we can get together with over coffee, share breakfast with at the drop of a hat, or go for a walk with to just get things off our chest.

Pastors are notorious for running off with their secretaries, but why are we surprised? We isolate them in ivory towers, put pressure on their families and hold them to unrealistic expectations. They turn to someone they feel they can talk to, a secretary, choir director, or other staff member who has shown they care and listen to their hurting heart. Before they realize, they are in a boat that is being tossed, turned and going down. The thing that was supposed to be their "salvation" becomes their destruction. The pain of isolation turns into the pain of destruction. And it all could have been avoided if they just had a real friend.

My best friend in ministry is a wonderful man of God named Jerry Rogers. He is a real friend. He can listen to my whining and tell me what a baby I am. He cries with me in my suffering, laughs with me in my joy, and celebrates my victories. I know he is praying for me in my trials. And you can be sure, I'm not going to run off to the Bahamas with him! He is my friend, and that is worth more than anything I own or dream of possessing. His support has saved my life; that is a bit extreme, but it is because of Jerry that I am still in ministry.

Who do you have? Who can God speak through to change your life?

At the church I pastored last I broke the rules; I let the men of our church into my life. I let myself be open and honest with them. I chose to let them see that I have problems and how I dealt with them. In turn, I had a church like nothing I have ever experienced before. Our men became the spiritual leaders of their homes, the leaders and teachers in our church, and a strong influence for the Kingdom of God in our community. They have been my friends, my lifeline, my help in time of trouble. We are family, some have found the ties here have become stronger than the blood ties that brought them to earth.

Who do you have; who's your friend?

The Barnabas Project exists to be friends to those in ministry. We reach out to you to champion your success in life, your success in ministry, and your success in fulfilling the plan of God for your life. But we can only do so much. Reach out to someone close by, be a friend, and get someone involved in your life that will help you be what God called you to be. Chose carefully, follow the leading of the Holy Ghost, and maintain your integrity. Success is yours!