Vineyard Secrets!

It is a great privilege to do the work of God. However, it is one thing to be called and another thing to fulfil the calling of God upon one's life. Many ministers and ministries today are not fulfilling their full potential. Some pastors work extremely hard with little or nothing to show for their efforts. Others focus on superficial achievements - gaining worldly acclaim yet suffering the loss of souls.

When I fellowshipped at a friend's church sometime ago, I was very impressed by the high level of focus and commitment displayed in the various departments. For instance, the church had a vibrant choir, a charismatic prayer group, a charitable outreach department (providing practical help to drug addicts, the elderly and the infirm within the local community!) and a hyperactive evangelism squad. This wasn't one of those 'bless me club' churches either but a house where holiness within and without is preached and practiced (as far as I could see).

Imagine how shocked I was to discover that the church in question was only about 2 years old. "How did they manage to achieve so much when many 20 year old ministries are still struggling to get their act together?" I wondered. I was so intrigued that I took it upon myself to ask God a series of questions, search the bible and research a number of successful ministries around the world. Whether you are a pastor, an evangelist, a lay worker or a homemaker, here are some of the secrets to success both in the vineyard of God and everyday life.

1. Grace - It is by grace we are saved lest any should boast. Success in ministry requires the grace of God for without Him we can do nothing. It is by grace that we can answer the call of God, walk by faith rather than by sight, persevere during difficult times and reach out to others with compassion. Although we still need to seek knowledge and take action, grace is the foundation of all success.

2. Prayer - Success in ministry has little or nothing to do with the amount of theological acumen one has acquired or the amount of hard work invested in church activities. It is mainly spiritual factors that determine the level of success that workers can attain in God's vineyard.

If the average Christian contends with a number of hostile powers how much more those whose responsibility it is to snatch souls right out of the kingdom of darkness? Surely one can't expect the devil to sit with his legs crossed while his domain is being invaded? Since God's work is spiritual in nature, several battles must be fought and won in the spirit realm before success can be attained in the physical realm.

Ministers who plan to mount up with wings, as eagles, must be skilled in aggressive warfare prayer. Waking up to travail in prayers between the hours of 12am and 3am is a highly effective strategy as the bible says the devil sows tares while men sleep. Holy living, sincere worship and feasting on the word must also accompany aggressive warfare prayers.

3. Vision - The bible says that God's people perish for lack of vision and rightfully so. Many churches today have failed to identify the unique needs they must meet and the specific purpose they must fulfil - rather they spend precious time imitating and competing with one another. We enter God's rest when we discover our abilities in Him and come to peace with the things we cannot change. We achieve the impossible when we see what God sees. Many ministries remain stunted because they refuse to see, believe and co-create the big things that God has destined for them.

During various discussions with fellow Christians I am puzzled by how critical some Christians who attend small churches can be of the so-called mega churches. However, God's mandate is to preach the gospel to all nations and if evangelical diligence results in a 100,000-member church, then surely that's a good thing. Similarly a number of Christians are very resentful of affluent people yet secretly long to prosper financially. However, God doesn't give us the things we don't respect and value in others. In the parable of the talents, the servant who buried the gift he had been entrusted with (out of resentment for his master) was reprimanded and quickly stripped of the little that had been given to him.

God doesn't do things in half measures - He thinks big! Did He not create our awesome universe, breathe His very essence into man and pay the ultimate sacrifice for our redemption? Forward thinking ministries, and ministers, have the visionary mind of God.

4. Excellence - Why is it that the secular world pays so much attention to detail and strives for excellence in their work whereas Christians are content to offer God shoddy workmanship? For instance how many churches invest regularly in skills training or take advantage of the numerous technological tools through which they can reach the unsaved? How many of the TV programs on our Christian channels are comparable to Hollywood programs in terms of production quality and originality of content?

Lovers of excellence are not proud - they have a teachable spirit, are willing to learn and eager to collaborate with their peers rather than compete unnecessarily. How many church leaders are willing to approach the more successful ministries in their local community for help and guidance? How many are humble enough to listen to and act on genuinely helpful feedback?

Lovers of excellence actively seek and act on constructive feedback. For instance, the world constantly accuses the church of being judgemental and not reaching out enough to the community. Rather than making excuses, Christian ministries ought to prayerfully consider this feedback (painful as it may seem) and make the necessary changes.

God is not mocked and diligence has its reward. People who succeed in ministry are those that strive after excellence by paying attention to detail and refusing to cut corners no matter what.

5. Integrity - Jesus is a perfect example of a leader who had integrity. He never asked his disciples to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself. He led by example, dedicating himself fully to his high calling. On the contrary, many Christian leaders today are reluctant to get their hands dirty. Under the guise of delegation they shirk their responsibilities and chase after the limelight instead. Others want to lord it over their subordinates (forgetting that leaders ought to be servants more than anything else).

What shall we say about ministries that attain great heights only to crumble like the tower of Babel in the wake of embarrassing sexual or financial scandals? Indeed many unsaved people reject the gospel today because of the bad example set by some Christians. Whether we like it or not, Godly character is the foundation of lasting success - be it in Christian ministry or other arenas of life.

It is indeed an awesome privilege to be called by God but it is only through grace, wisdom and dilligence that we can fulfil our high calling.

J. Ogbata