Joyful Perseverance E-Book

Ajith Fernando

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 229

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

How to Remain Joyful about Ministry Despite Inevitable Challenges Life in ministry is not detached from disappointment. Threats to one's integrity, harmful expectations from celebrity culture, and the tendency toward loneliness, insecurity, and pain can put a strain on ministry leaders. How can they remain faithful to their work for Christ's kingdom without letting bitterness seep in?   Joyful Perseverance encourages ministry leaders to rely on God's grace to find joy, energy, and the freshness to serve well, despite inevitable disappointments. It offers practical ways to combat the negative effects of ministry such as embracing God's joy-giving presence, guarding one's integrity, leaning into one's God-given identity, groaning with God, settling sin issues through repentance and forgiveness, cultivating friends, and more. By adopting a life of thanksgiving, readers will experience abundant joy, resulting in an ongoing passion for ministry. - Written to Pastors, Elders, and Ministry Leaders:   Intended to help people joyfully stay in their ministry role despite discouragement and struggle  - Empathetic: Written by veteran ministry leader Ajith Fernando, this book addresses the inevitable difficulties presented to ministry leaders  - Concise: This short format makes this book practical and accessible for busy leaders - Foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner

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“What a lovely little book! I have a few books like this in my library that I return to often, so it is a delight to add to that collection this gentle encouragement to have a refreshing life, or maybe a life that is constantly being refreshed. Ajith Fernando will encourage you with his wisdom, from a lifetime on the front lines. I’m thankful for this gift to weary Christians.”

Paul E. Miller, author, A Praying Life; J-Curve; and A Praying Church

“Joyful Perseverance is a gift that beautifully arises out of Ajith Fernando’s reflections on over forty years of Christian ministry. As it turns out, our ministries are not sustained by career advancements, titles, or platform opportunities. Rather, we persevere through union with Christ who grants us the deeper gifts of grace and gratitude in the midst of times of sorrow and lament. This book is a treasure for those who long for a ministry that is punctuated not by burnout and despair but instead by joyful perseverance in the presence of Christ.”

Timothy C. Tennent, President and Professor of World Christianity, Asbury Theological Seminary

“In Joyful Perseverance, Ajith Fernando describes what it means to live out the gospel in demanding times and dangerous places. This is a huge gift to us all. For over four decades, Fernando and I have journeyed together in ministry, which has given me the opportunity to know that what you read in this remarkable text has been tested. Fernando has been relentless in finding life and inspiration in the God he loves and serves. Now we in our own moments of trials and wanderings can join with him in discovering those sources of joy which give life to carry on.”

Brian C. Stiller, global ambassador, The World Evangelical Alliance

“My pastor once told me to choose a book by its author, and that advice has proved to be wise counsel. Ajith Fernando is someone I want to learn from, and in Joyful Perseverance, the allure of the subject combines with the authenticity of the author to make this book irresistible.”

Colin S. Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Founder and Bible Teacher, Open the Bible

“Finishing well is perhaps the greatest desire, and the greatest challenge, in the life of any Christian leader. In Joyful Perseverance, Ajith Fernando distills over forty years of leadership experience to produce a volume of extraordinary biblical insight and practical wisdom for finishing well. Having known Fernando for over four decades as my mentor and friend, I’m thrilled that countless others can now benefit from the wisdom of a remarkable leader, whose authenticity and consistency some of us have been privileged to see up close and personally.”

Ivor Poobalan, Principal, Colombo Theological Seminary; Cochair, Theology Working Group, Lausanne Movement

“I love Ajith Fernando! His example of over forty years of joyful, sacrificial perseverance inspires me. God has enabled him to document his own experience of God’s grace in a way that invites readers to experience that grace afresh and to let it heal our wounds. Fernando, enabled by the Holy Spirit, sees the pastoral dimension of biblical texts that both diagnose and treat the perils that keep us from abiding in God’s grace. In addition to scriptural insights and candid recollections of his own shortcomings, Fernando, ever the reader, fills his pages with maxims and nuggets from the faithful, adding his own hard-won insights. With many words of wisdom, Fernando skillfully plies his trade as a physician of the soul and draws us back to our gracious God. Read it and rejoice; let the living Lord, our triune God, enable you to persevere.”

Greg R. Scharf, Professor Emeritus of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Ajith Fernando is a remarkably gifted pastor and teacher, with considerable charisma. But what I love most in him is his deep and holy commitment to honor God. This book offers a window into his heart.”

Tim Stafford, author

Joyful Perseverance

Joyful Perseverance

Staying Fresh through the Ups and Downs of Ministry

Ajith Fernando

Foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner

Joyful Perseverance: Staying Fresh through the Ups and Downs of Ministry

© 2024 by Ajith Fernando

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Wilson.

Royalties from the sale of this book will go for literature and education projects in Sri Lanka. 

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2024

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked PHILLIPS are from The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-9376-5 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9378-9 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9377-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Fernando, Ajith, author.

Title: Joyful perseverance : staying fresh through the ups and downs of ministry / Ajith Fernando ; foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2024. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “Explores how one can remain fresh with joy in Christian ministry over the long haul”— Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023053500 (print) | LCCN 2023053501 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433593765 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433593789 (epub) | ISBN 9781433593772 (pdf)

Subjects: LCSH: Church work. | Joy | Perseverance (Ethics)

Classification: LCC BV4400 .F47 2024 (print) | LCC BV4400 (ebook) | DDC 253—dc23/eng/20240222

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023053500

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023053501

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2024-05-28 10:02:50 AM

To

Albert and Catherine Lee

Chiu Yau and Wingyan Mok

Edward and June Lee

Bishop Kim Seng and Ai Mai Kuan

Lawrence and Agnes James

Michael and Connie Cheong

Representing a host of East Asian Christians

who have blessed me by their friendship

Contents

Foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner

Introduction

1  What Do We Mean by Freshness?

2  It Is All of Grace

3  Strength for Energy-Sapping Ministry

4  Thanksgiving and Joy

5  Three Reasons for Joy

6  When I Don’t Feel Joy

7  The Reality of Frustration

8  Groaning and Lament

9  The God Who Groans

10  Refreshment through Prayer

11  Battling Insecurity

12  Guarding Our Integrity

13  Conscience: Others’ and Ours

14  Contentment in a Celebrity Culture

15  Innovation, Growth, Excellence, and God’s Glory

16  Refreshment through Our Call and the Scriptures

17  Grace through Friends

18  Friends in Times of Need

Conclusion

General Index

Scripture Index

Foreword

Sometimes when I read a book, I wish everyone would read it. That conviction seized me repeatedly as I read this powerful and prophetic book by Ajith Fernando. I have read Fernando’s books for many years, and spiritual insight and, dare I say, freshness have been characteristic of his work. What underlies this book is Scripture, which is hardly surprising since the Bible contains the words of life—the words that, by God’s Spirit, transform us and make us glad. We need to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), but we will be filled with the Spirit only if we are also filled with the word (Col. 3:16). Fernando reminds us that if God’s word isn’t residing in our minds and hearts, then there will be no spiritual power, no enduement from on high. God uses the ordinary means of grace to sustain us on our journey to the heavenly city.

Another mark of this book is authenticity. We sense and know as we read that Ajith Fernando isn’t spinning a tale. He has been in ministry for forty-seven years, and he confesses his own weaknesses and struggles. He tells the story of all of us as we struggle with insecurity, weakness, pride, lust, bitterness, resentment, overwork, and underwork. Yes, the treasure of the gospel is indeed in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7). Paul acknowledges that as believers we suffer affliction, are plagued by doubts, and suffer from attacks by others (2 Cor. 4:8–9). Sometimes, as Fernando points out, those attacks even come from other Christians, sometimes even from our friends. You won’t find here a simplistic guide for how to have a happy life and how to overcome all your problems. Life isn’t easy, and that message is communicated realistically.

At the same time, we are not left merely with the message that life is hard. We all know that! Or if you don’t know it now, you will know it soon enough. Even though we experience sorrow, we are also full of joy in the midst of sorrow (2 Cor. 6:10). Fernando reminds us that we know God—what an amazing gift!—in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God’s love is available to strengthen and sustain us throughout our lives. Because God loves us, we don’t have to hide our weaknesses, insecurities, or sins from him (or from others). In the midst of our weaknesses he gives us strength. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength even in the hardest times in our lives (Neh. 8:10). When we think we can’t forgive that person who has hurt us so badly, the person who fills us with resentment, God gives us power to love and to forgive. Still, we may struggle with the same issue tomorrow, and once again we will need God’s grace to fill us afresh.

One other theme that stands out is the emphasis on friendship, on colleagues in ministry. We have a great God, but God has also given us brothers and sisters, the corporate body, the church. We need regular fellowship with other believers and to be involved vitally in the church of Jesus Christ. When we are hurt, we can be tempted to withdraw from gathering regularly with other believers. In the church the Lord gives us friends, and he comforts us not only by his own presence but also with others who love us.

Read this book. Meditate on its message. Pray as you read it. It inspired me afresh to forget the things that are past and to live for the glory of God and to run the race to the end (Phil. 3:12–14).

Thomas R. Schreiner

Introduction

My thirtieth anniversary of ministry with Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka, fell on July 15, 2006, while I was traveling in the United States. I did not have any preaching appointments that day. I was staying at the home of my friends, Pastor David and Karin Livingston, in Minneapolis. Their home was close to the Mississippi River, and I decided to walk to the river and spend the morning on its bank with my little New Testament, my notebook, and the Lord. I began to read from the beginning of 2 Corinthians, and I got stuck at chapter 4. It starts with the affirmation that we do not lose heart, because our ministry is by the mercy of God. Reflecting on this led me to prepare a series of talks on “Secrets of Long-Term Freshness in Ministry.” With time, I thought I must write a book on this topic, but I thought it would be best to do so after a few more years in vocational ministry. Now after forty-seven years I believe that time has come.

Since stepping down in 2011 after thirty-five years as leader of Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka, I have remained on Youth for Christ staff. My main ministry has been mentoring and counseling Youth for Christ staff and pastors, as well as younger leaders from other Christian groups and churches. Over time, I have grown in the conviction that the key to longevity in ministry is constantly experiencing God’s grace and letting grace heal the wounds that come from disappointments and challenges in life and ministry. So this book is mainly about applying grace to our lives and ministries, and avoiding those things that hinder grace. The topics I have chosen to discuss are first the result of much biblical reflection, but also the result of observing recurring patterns of positive and negative effects that certain experiences, lifestyles, attitudes, and decisions have on Christian leaders, including me. Over the years I have tried to reflect and teach about how the Bible addresses those issues.

This book is not a comprehensive guide to freshness. I have tried to keep the book relatively small and have not addressed some important issues, some of which others are more qualified to speak on, including the following:

The need for rest and a regular Sabbath (I briefly address this in chap. 3).The need for recreation, exercise, and times to enjoy the beauty of creation.The need for hobbies that bring relaxation.The need to have fun times, especially with family and friends.1The need to have relaxed times with family in conversation, in prayer, and around God’s word.2The need to confront issues that affect one’s emotional and spiritual health and possibly get some help with those issues.The need for ministry to individuals, such as personal witness and discipling, which helps keep us on our toes spiritually. I have written a whole book on discipling.3

I believe that after all these years, I am still excited about ministry. I know I have made big mistakes, and often have failed to live up to the high standards of my calling. I am often overwhelmed by all the weaknesses I struggle with. But I can honestly say with Paul that, “having this ministry by the mercy of God, [I] do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1). Praise God! His grace is sufficient to sustain and use even the weakest of his servants.

Toward the end of this book, I will show how grace is often mediated to our lives through the body of Christ. I must acknowledge the way God has blessed me through the communities to which I belong. I have been a member of the Youth for Christ family for almost sixty years, for ten years as a volunteer and then as a staff worker. It is in this context that I learned the secrets of effective ministry. I have been particularly blessed through two accountability groups from the Youth for Christ family to which I belong. Most of the material in this book was taught to the staff of Youth for Christ. This book has been greatly enriched by their lively and frank responses to what I taught.

Then there is the Nugegoda Methodist Church, of which my wife and I have been members for more than forty years and where I now do most of my grassroots ministry. I’m grateful, too, for my biological family. I was blessed to be born into a loving Christian home, and I always thank God for my parents, B. E. and Malini Fernando, and my four siblings: Kumar, Duleep, Priyan, and Anusha. My wife, Nelun, has been the greatest human medium of grace in my life. My two children, Nirmali and Asiri, their spouses Refuge and Cheryl, and our four grandchildren, Avisha, Sanil, Yasas, and Yeheli, cause my wife and me to abound with joy.

I am very happy to be working with Crossway once again, and I am grateful to be able to benefit from the expert editing skills of Tara Davis. I am amazed by how much I have been blessed by the body of Christ!

I have written many books about Christian life and ministry, so it is inevitable that some points in those books have made their way into this book also (though I hardly consulted those books when writing this one). This is especially true of my book The Call to Joy and Pain.4 Hopefully the points are presented here with a freshness that has come out of many more years of experience since writing my earlier books.

My hope is that this book would help readers to develop resources to help them continue to persevere joyfully over the long haul in the service to which God has called them.

1  I am grateful to my fitness and life coach son-in-law Rabindranath Refuge for alerting me to the first four points.

2  This fifth point comes from my wife.

3  Ajith Fernando, Discipling in a Multicultural World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019).

4  Ajith Fernando, The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007).

1

What Do We Mean by Freshness?

This book is about maintaining freshness in ministry over the long haul. Freshness is a difficult concept to define; it can mean different things according to the context one is describing. So I will begin by explaining what I mean by freshness in this book, first by listing what it is not and then by explaining what it is.

What Freshness Does Not Mean

First, when we talk of freshness in ministry, we do not mean maintaining good physical health while we minister. Many great servants of God struggled with poor health. One of the most influential seventeenth-century Christian leaders and authors, Richard Baxter (1615–1691), struggled with ill health most of his life. He did not have good experiences with the medical personnel who attended to him.1 He seemed to live with the sense that he was going through “the valley of the shadow of death.” He is credited with the statement, “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”2 Baxter wrote the classic book on ministry The Reformed Pastor, of which Amazon lists nine different editions in print today. He continued to preach until he died at the age of seventy-six.

Second, we do not mean having a motivated, enthusiastic approach to the tasks we perform. Many great actors, politicians, scientists, and businessmen showed exemplary enthusiasm to the end of their lives, but they did not follow Christ.

Third, when we speak of freshness, we do not mean having a bubbly personality that always exudes joy. The great leaders Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) often struggled with bouts of depression, but they ministered with power to the end of their lives.

Fourth, we do not mean a life of climbing the ecclesiastical ladder. There is a wrong idea that one’s position in an organization or church is a measure of his or her fruitfulness in service. We have books proclaiming that everyone can be a leader if they just follow the right formula. But Christian fruitfulness is not defined by position in the church. This kind of false teaching has left many unnecessarily feeling that they are unsuccessful in their service for God or that they have been deprived of positions they deserve. The Bible and church history show that those who are not leaders by that definition can be great and exemplary servants of God. If one were to define a leader as “someone who has followers,” then all Christians can be leaders.3 All Christians can influence people to follow God’s paths. But not all great Christians will rise to high positions on the ecclesiastical ladder.

Brother Lawrence (1614–1691) served in a monastery kitchen for thirty years. At first, he resented having to do such work, but a vital experience with God made him realize that everything he did, even washing dishes, was done for God. He lived to a ripe old age and left some letters and spiritual notes which were compiled after his death under the title The Practice of the Presence of God. That little book became one of the most influential spiritual classics in the history of the church. Many people talk about the value of servant leadership these days. But few are willing to embrace a lifestyle of real servanthood, because that does not fit in with their understanding of what it means to be successful.

What Freshness Means

Let’s now look at what we mean by freshness in ministry. My basic affirmation is that it is a life that continues to minister in the Spirit. Let me unpack that. First, we are talking about a life where the grace of God is evident through God’s constant presence, equipping, and leading. Paul saw all his ministry as coming from the mercy of God (2 Cor. 4:1). This means that what is most important is not our service—what we do for God—but grace—what God does for us. As we shall see, excellence in ministry is important to us because we do it for the honor of a glorious God. But our primary aim in life is the pursuit of God. More than anything else, we want to guard our relationship with him with a sense of urgency, and deal with anything that hinders that relationship. Even when things seem to be going wrong and God seems to be far away, our primary desire is God. As the psalmist said in a dark time of his life,

As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God. (Ps. 42:1–2)

The primary source of freshness in our lives is not our vocational fulfillment through using our gifts, though that is important. It is not our adventures in ministry as we try new and creative things, though those are also important. It is our love relationship with God. It is the thrill of being on speaking terms with the King of kings and of receiving his blessing.

Second, people experiencing freshness surely have had many painful, sorrowful, and disappointing experiences in life. But while they may live with sorrow over them, negative feelings and bitterness about those experiences do not constantly influence their moods and their interactions with people. They have been comforted by God. Before recounting a painful experience, Paul said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:3–4). He had overcome bitterness through God’s comfort.

Third, people maintaining freshness have hearts that are receptive to letting God’s love flow into and out of their lives. Paul said, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5). The word poured has the idea of “flooding” (PHILLIPS). The experience of love also combats feelings of bitterness. The flood of God’s love challenges the dominance of bitterness and sweeps it away. That love “compels” them to let love flow out of their lives in service (2 Cor. 5:14 NIV). Ministry is an overflow of experiencing God’s love. My friend Susan Pearlman, a leader in Jews for Jesus, once said, “Burnout takes place when the wick and not the oil is burning.” If we tap into the oil of God’s inexhaustible supply of love, that love will keep energizing our service. And our lives will be kept bright with the joy of experiencing love.

Fourth, freshness in ministry is characterized by thankfulness for the privilege of being God’s servant. After describing the painful experience to which we alluded above, Paul said, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor. 2:14). “Always” and “everywhere” we find cause for thanksgiving, even after painful experiences. Paul looked at life and ministry not through the lens of problems but with a heart full of thanksgiving for being God’s servant.

Fifth, people experiencing freshness are passionate about ministry to the end. Again we turn to Paul. He said, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11 NIV). When in his late eighties, John Wesley wrote in his diary, “My eyes are now waxed dim; my natural force is abated. However, while I can, I would fain do a little for God before I drop into the dust.”4 The passion for ministry was still there!

Years ago I heard a story of an elderly Christian who was close to death. A doctor examined him and, when leaving the room, whispered something to his attendant. The patient asked the attendant what the doctor had said. The attendant answered that he had told him that he had only a few moments to live. The old saint promptly said, “Then quick, get me on my knees and let me spend the few moments I have praying for the salvation of the world.” Even when facing death, he had not lost his freshness.

Further Reflection

What unavoidable aspects of your personality or circumstances seem to threaten your freshness? How will you maintain freshness while living with these features?

1  See Tim Cooper, “Richard Baxter and His Physicians,” Social History of Medicine, 20, no. 1 (April 2007): 1–19. You can access a summary of this article at https://academic.oup.com/shm/article-abstract/20/1/1/2332129?redirectedFromPDF.

2  “Richard Baxter: Moderate in an Age of Extremes,” Christianity Today, https://www.christianitytoday.com. Accessed June 25, 2022.

3  Peter Drucker, Managing for the Future (New York: Routledge, 2011), 103.

4  Albert C. Outler, ed., The Works of John Wesley (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1987), 4:483.