Advice To A Young Preacher

Author: J. Mike Minnix

Subject: Pastoral Ministry

Advice To A Young Preacher

J. Mike Minnix, Editor, PastorLife.com

A young man from a former church graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary. His family asked that I write him some helpful thoughts as he began his first post-
seminary pastorate. I sent him the following message.

The Apostle Paul compared the Christian life, and the ministry, to running a race. When he
came to the end of his journey he said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith."
Anyone who runs knows that you cannot run a "good" race without preparation, discipline and
purpose. The question is: What did Paul do that caused him to come to such a victorious
conclusion in his ministry and life?

1. The Fight

Paul rightly understood that serving the Lord is a "fight." Some ministers think that the ministry
will be cakewalk. They are in for a rude awakening. You must rise from your bed everyday
realizing that the devil is not going to make your work easy for you. I mention the devil because
that is where the battle takes place. Paul stated this clearly in Ephesians 6. He said that we do
not wrestle with flesh and blood but we wrestle with the rulers of the darkness of this age. Your
fight is never with people - not even those people who seem to be the enemy. Your real
struggle is with Satanic forces seeking to destroy your ministry.

Paul did not say that he had simply fought the fight; rather, Paul said that he had fought the
"good" fight. Paul knew the difference in a "personal" fight and a "good" fight. My advice would
be to fight the "good" fight. Never take anything that anyone does to you as "personal." Also,
never let your guard down. Note that Paul had to "fight" the good fight right up to the very end.
Satan will probe you for weak spots and attack where he thinks he can win an easy victory.
Watch your life in three specific areas: Sex, Money and Pride. Remember that the One in you
is greater than the evil one in the world.

2. The Finish Line

A race involves a path that is laid out in advance. No one runs a race without knowing the
course. You must make sure you are working for the right things. After all, you are going to end
up at the finish line of the course you have chosen. Make sure you are running God''s race for
you. Find His will and do His will. Three enemies will attack you at this point.

The first enemy is selfishness. You may create your own path and ask God to bless it. That will
lead to a lot of sorrow and will bring you to the wrong finish line. The second enemy is
laziness. You may decide to just drift down the road of your ministerial life. A race is very tiring
and you may decide to take it easy rather than give it your all. You will end up far short of
God''s finish line for you if you decide to live a lazy ministerial life. The third enemy is
emptiness. When a person is running, it is important to have plenty of energy producing
calories and a good supply or water. You can''t run for God if you are running on empty. You
must spend time with the Lord, and time in His Word. He will refresh you and fill you with his
Spirit. Neglecting time with God will leave you empty and cause you to collapse before you get
to the end of the race.

3. The Faith

Being a minister causes you to see the dark side of the Christian life. You see the hateful
church members, the indifferent believers, the disappointing fellow ministers, the immoral
behavior of some Christians, the political shenanigans of some religious leaders, and a lot of
other disappointing stuff. It would be easy to lose "the faith." I don''t think Paul was talking
about losing faith in Christ - he was talking about losing faith in everything! Some days you can
get so depressed you just want to give up. Paul NEVER GAVE UP! He kept the faith that God
is still God, no matter how some of His people act. He kept the faith that living for Jesus is
worth it. He kept the faith that Christ is Lord and will reveal Himself victoriously one day in the
future! He kept the faith that doing God's work is the greatest job on earth. Keep the faith!
Never become so discouraged that you quit!
We are all so proud of you. You have a great future - if you do the three things Paul did in his
life throughout the days of your ministry life, you will come to the finish line saying,
"I have fought a good fight,
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith!"
We love you and will be praying for you in the years to come. Please stay in touch and let us
know how God is working in and through your lives. You will always be special to us.

https://www.pastorlife.com/members/article.asp?articleid=139