What part of your ministry is the most difficult? Thoughts from Mark Driscoll

Recently, author and pastor, Mark Driscoll, answered the question, “What part of your ministry is the most difficult?” on the Resurgence website, a ministry of Mars Hill Church of which Driscoll is the founding pastor.

He said that “As our culture becomes increasingly hostile to Christianity, ministry can place an adverse toll on your emotional well-being.”

Driscoll continues by saying he likes to answer questions from leaders ask about ministry. “One that often comes up: What part of your ministry is the most difficult? Nearly everyone who asks this question is someone who is new to ministry and seeking to anticipate a possible landmine in front of them.”

To him, he says the answer is simple: “family safety. By far and away, this is the most constant, soul-aching concern that I deal with.”

What part of ministry is or has been the most difficult for you?
How have you handled or responded to it?

POSTED ON January 7, 2014

8 Comments

  • February 1, 2014

    Sparkling_jewel

    When God knows you have Him in mind, He will have your family in mind. So, don’t worry and be at rest.

    “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” ( Matthew 11:30 ).

    • February 1, 2014

      Jimmy

      Soooooo much easier said than done. Plenty of missionaries have been beaten, kidnapped, killed, raped along with their family members. Do you offer up the same pat advice? Just asking.

      • February 1, 2014

        Sparkling_jewel

        Hello Jimmy, there are plenty of missionaries around the world but are they on mission for God or just for themselves? Did they receive any mandate from God before becoming missionaries? Did they obey God in the first place? Why would a loving God want these missionaries and their family to be tortured? Does it cross your mind that what they go through are from Satan and not from God? And when they are in those situations, do they curse God or do they still love God? I am not here to offer any pat advice. What I am trying to say is, if you obey God for His will in your life, you will be safe. It is His will that shall be your will, and not your will be His will.

        • February 1, 2014

          Jimmy

          So then those missionaries who suffer for Christ are safe? Those who are raped, tortured, and killed are safe as long as they correctly serve God? So if one falls out of His will by their choice, mistake, or God’s choice they are not safe and that’s how it works? Really?

          • February 1, 2014

            Sparkling_jewel

            Not only when they fall out of God’s will that they have to suffer for the consequences, they also suffer for not understanding the culture in that country they are carrying out their mission in. If they have prayed and taken much precaution initially, then much mishaps can be avoided. Communication with the local people and cross-culture understanding are vital when you are on mission. Whether or not that missionary is going to be safe very much depends on his or her devotion to God. By the way, are you a missionary?

          • February 1, 2014

            Jimmy

            What I am is done with you and your ignorant self. I certainly hope you are not in a leadership position of any kind as you obviously do not know the Bible or the divine author of it.

          • February 3, 2014

            Sparkling_jewel

            Thank you very much for your comment about me, Jimmy. You can actually tell God about my ignoran

          • February 3, 2014

            Sparkling_jewel

            Thank you very much for your comment about me. You can actually tell God about my ignorant self and that I don’t know the Bible. Have a great day and may God bless you!

Bo Lane is the founder of ExPastors, a community that strives to offer help, healing, and hope for expastors, pastors, and church leaders, and author of Why Pastors Quit. As a media professional with more than 15 years of experience, he has developed marketing and brand strategies that have revolutionized churches and businesses, both large and small. Bo left full-time ministry after serving more than a decade in churches in Oregon, California, and Iowa. He is also a writer, filmmaker, woodworker, husband and father.